HE may have once been fancied as a big-handicap contender for Royal Ascot when previously trained in Britain, but Walhaan is quickly making a name for himself as a useful hurdler for Ciaran Murphy and continued his improvement to notch a first win over flights in the two-mile Edmondstown Maiden Hurdle.

Conditional rider Eoin Walsh was seen at his best on the ex-Shadwell-owned Dark Angel gelding, dictating the pace from the front and saving enough to repel the late challenge of 5/6 favourite Horantzau D’Airy, trained by Willie Mullins.

Rated 97 on the flat at his peak in Britain, Walhaan was bought for £38,000 at last year’s Tattersalls Ascot March Sale and opened his account at the third attempt over hurdles.

The 12/1 winner is owned by the Ask Dot Syndicate, a group mostly consisting of existing owners in Murphy’s Charlestown, Mullingar base.

“We bought him with the hope of being a lovely dual-purpose type and it’s very exciting to win a maiden hurdle with him at Leopardstown,” said Murphy. “It didn’t go right for him last time at Navan [when fourth to Firm Footings], but Eoin gave him a no-nonsense ride today and was very good on him.

“We think there’s a nice race on the flat in him as well but we might stay hurdling for the time being. His owners are all brilliant supporters of our yard and I’m delighted for them that he’s obliged.”

Arctic impresses

Mullins may have rattled the crossbar with Horantzau D’Airy but he didn’t leave Leopardstown empty-handed as Arctic Fly ran out a convincing winner of the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Bumper under the champion trainer’s son Patrick.

Bred to be smart as a daughter of Walk In The Park out of a sister to the stable’s high-class Arctic Fire, the Brendan O’Sullivan-owned five-year-old picked up well to score as the 4/6 favourite.

“I’d imagine we’ll give her a chance at some blacktype, maybe at Fairyhouse [in the Listed Total Enjoyment Bumper next month],” said the record-breaking winning rider.

“She has a lovely pedigree and I think that’s Brendan’s first runner, and winner, in his colours. It’s very special for him. I think it looked like a good bumper on paper - any horse who wins at Leopardstown first time out is normally smart.”

Wa Wa runs riot for red-hot McLoughlin yard

ARGUABLY the easiest winner of the afternoon came in the three-mile Rockbrook Handicap Hurdle as Wa Wa continued his purple patch over hurdles to win much more comfortably than a winning margin of a length and a quarter suggests.

Dermot McLoughlin had been without a winner from the end of June 2022 until the beginning of last month, but the dual Irish Grand National-winning trainer is now firing on all cylinders and has won with five of his last 16 runners.

A 121-rated chaser, the Yeats gelding has been able to capitalise on hurdles marks of 92 and 100 in his latest two starts under Bryan Cooper. The 15/2 winner has since been hit with another 14lb hike over hurdles for this success.

Racing TV presenter Gary O’Brien is a member of the successful Seven Figures Partnership, and said: “He seems to have got his mojo back, for whatever reason. He travelled and jumped much sweeter today than last time.

“We’ll have a chat with Dermot but the Ulster National was the race [Wa Wa’s former trainer] David Christie said would suit him when we bought him.”

Currency cashes in

There was also a clear-cut winner in the two-mile Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle, with Clever Currency running out an eight-length winner for trainer Paul Flynn, conditional rider Ben Kennedy and the Force Fifteen Syndicate.

It was the six-year-old’s first success in nearly two years, with a breathing operation over the festive period potentially sparking some improvement.

“It’s great to see him winning and the syndicate, which includes my sister Rebecca, have had plenty of faith in him,” Flynn said of the 14/1 winner.

“He was rated 117 as a four-year-old, he was too high, and he was only getting dropped a pound the whole time. He won off 105 here. Ben gave him a great ride. He was left alone in front and obviously didn’t go too quickly.”

Della Casa delivers

Earlier on the card, Della Casa Lunga stamped her ticket for the final of the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction series with a commanding novice hurdle success at odds of 85/40.

Ridden by Phillip Enright and owned by her trainer Sam Curling, the five-year-old made up for an unfortunate final-flight fall when throwing down a serious challenge at Naas last time.

Curling said: “She works like a very good mare and hopefully she’ll keep going forward. These are great races with great prize money. She is for sale.”

Spring festival options for progressive Solness

JOSEPH O’Brien and J.J. Slevin have plenty of quality bullets to fire at next week’s Cheltenham Festival, and the pair warmed up for the marquee meeting with a winner at Leopardstown thanks to capable novice chaser Solness.

A French recruit owned by Bronsan Racing, the five-year-old by Konig Turf (sire of the stable’s high-class performer Darasso) opened his account over fences at the second attempt in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase over two miles and a furlong.

The winning 4/5 favourite now has options open to him at the spring festivals after making all to record a four-and-three-quarter-length victory.

Assistant trainer Brendan Powell said: “It was a nice run last time when runner-up [to Saldier] at Thurles. I think in a stronger race you probably would drop him in a little bit. He’s a very good jumper, touch wood.

“He’s going to be a good, fun horse for Bronsan Racing, who have put a few quid into the game. We might find something at Fairyhouse or Punchestown for him. He’s a young horse, he’s only had seven runs in his life and is on the up.”

Mirbat off the mark

Switching to handicap chase company for the first time helped Battle Of Mirbat register a first success in his eight-race rules career for owner-trainer Michael McDonagh in the John Thomas McNamara Series Qualified Riders Handicap Chase.

Having been beaten wide margins on his first three starts in beginners’ chases, the six-year-old by Ocovango bolted up by eight lengths off a mark of 97 for Adam Ryan, returning at odds of 7/1.

Assistant trainer Jamie Ivors said: “We weren’t expecting that. We thought he’d run a nice race as he’s improved with every run since we got him. Today he seemed to get into a rhythm from the word go. He wings fences and is a real chaser. I thought he’d get tired turning in, but he just galloped all the way.”