THE card also played host to a tremendous chasing debut from the Willie Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs (4/7) in the Ballymaloe Relish Beginners Chase over two miles five furlongs.

A winner of the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham and also a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival, the Audrey Turley-owned five-year-old looked brilliant on his first try at the larger obstacles.

He jumped superbly, tanked through the race and annihilated his overmatched rivals to run out an unextended 22-length winner.

He looks every inch Grade 1 material as a chaser and is unquestionably one of the outstanding novice chasers on either side of the Irish Sea.

“He was very, very impressive. He was just so effortless over all his fences. He did everything right and galloped right out through the line and looks a very exciting horse for the future,” commented the trainer.

“For a beginners’ chase at Leopardstown first time out over fences, we haven’t seen the likes of that for a while. The two-mile-five-furlong Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival would look a logical race for him.”

Another exciting Mullins winner was on show in Redemption Day (8/11) in the Midland Legal Solicitors INH Flat Race in great style.

The Tim O’Driscoll-owned son of Blue Bresil was sent off the 8/11 favourite and he produced a performance to match. He cruised around and was still hard on the bridle as he took over the lead with over a furlong to run.

Redemption Day reached the line with a hard held four and a half lengths to spare over the Monksgrange point-to-point scorer Music Drive.

“The first couple of times he worked he showed us he could be a nice bumper horse and he looks even better than he was showing us at home,” commented the champion trainer.

“All three horses who have won bumpers for us this week look good enough to go into graded bumpers and we’ll just see how each of them comes out of their races before we make plans.”

Dream start

The card kicked off with a 25/1 winner as Howyabud, in the colours of his breeder and former Kilkenny hurling great Charlie Carter, credited Wexford-based trainer Mary Ellen Doyle with her first winner on the track in the Savills Maiden Hurdle.

In what looked an interesting edition of this four-year-old two-and-a-half-mile affair, the Jack Foley-ridden 25/1 shot lined up having filled the runner-up spot in two Ballinrobe bumpers and a point at Monksgrange and he showed himself to be a horse of some potential with this effort.

After racing on the pace, the son of Milan really stretched out his rivals from two out and in the straight he always looked to be holding the favourite Horantzau D’airy whom he defeated by six lengths.

“We think a lot of him. He had good bumper form and ran well in a good point at Monksgrange too (second to Music Drive),” commented the trainer who took out her training licence in March.

A colossal late plunge on Winter Fog was foiled in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Qualifier as the Martin Brassil-trained Panda Boy (16/1) outpointed the gamble.

On his first start for Emmet Mullins Winter Fog was backed from 22/1 into 8/1 on track and looked like landing the gamble when moving to the head of the field after the second last.

However, as the last flight loomed Panda Boy and J.J. Slevin remained a distinct threat and the five-year-old, who was making just the fifth appearance of his career, drew away on the run-in to score by three and a quarter lengths.

A 33/1 winner of a maiden hurdle on his debut last March, the Old Pals Partnership-owned winner was bouncing back from an unplaced effort on his return to action at Naas in early November.

“Over that trip he has a little bit of class and whatever he does over hurdles will be a bonus because he’s going to be a right chaser,” remarked Slevin.

Off the mark

Priory Park (9/2) got Edward O’Grady off the mark for the festive period as he struck under a canny Mark Walsh ride to win the Irish Daily Star Handicap Hurdle.

With the last flight bypassed a long run -in greeted the leaders but from the moment they jumped the original second last Mark Walsh gave the impression that the J.P. McManus-owned gelding had the two in front of him covered.

It was only late on that Priory Park was asked to move past Nazine and he did so with a good deal more to spare than the winning margin of a length and a quarter would suggest.

The winner was 8lb higher than when winning at Thurles in November and the manner of his success in this 28-runner affair would suggest that he could defy another hike up the weights.

“Jumping is his forte so I was worried about the last flight being missed but you’d have to say he did it quite nicely and Mark had him in position A all the way,” declared O’Grady afterwards.