WILLIE Mullins’ second challenge for the Gran Premio Merano Alto Adige Chase, a Grade 1 over three miles and a furlong, fared better than last year, but ended with Alechi Inois finishing an honourable third.

Second in the Galway Plate, Alechi Inois, ridden by Ruby Walsh, finished five lengths behind the Czech-trained winner Mazhilis, an outsider trained by Josef Vana and ridden by Jan Kratochvil. James Reveley was second on Guilliame Macaire’s well-fancied Allen Voran. Vana saddled four of the 12 runners.