Aramon gave the father and son combination of Willie and Patrick Mullins a second Guinness Galway Hurdle success in three years with a fine weight-carrying performance in the Ballybrit feature.

The seven-year-old looked a class act as he followed up his triumph in the Grade 2 Grimes Hurdle from five weeks earlier, having been second in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

Sharjah, the winner for the Closutton team in 2018, has gone on to show he is better than a handicapper and Aramon too could do the same after running out a ready winner.

The 7/1 chance was brought with a perfectly-timed run to challenge before the final flight and scooted clear from there to win by two and a quarter lengths from Hearts Are Trumps, with Petit Mouchoir in third and Olly Murphy’s British raider Hunters Call fourth.

The winning rider said: “He has to be a Champion Hurdle horse after that. He was a very good novice and a bit like Sharjah lost his way then, but his run off top-weight in the County and to win off top-weight here – it looks like he’s getting his mojo back.

“That could put him up to 160 which puts him within 3lb or 4lb of the top horses in the land. I’d imagine it’ll be Grade 1s from now on.”

He added: “He had 3lb more than Sharjah and that was good news for me – those big weights. The race was run to suit him, the fact that it was good ground and they went steady. With a real strong gallop the weight would have told a bit more.

“He’s better on good ground. He could be a horse for Far Hills in America, but maybe in a year’s time.”

NOVICE CHASE

Polished Steel made it two from two over fences when taking the Grade 3 spoils in the Rockshore Novice Chase.

Successful at Tipperary four weeks ago, Jessica Harrington’s six-year-old made all the running in the hands of Robbie Power.

His task was made easier when Russian Diamond, the 11/8 favourite, parted company with David Mullins at the sixth fence.

Polished Steel (9/2) jumped well in the main apart from a mistake at the second-last and pulled away on the long run to the line to win by nine lengths from 100/1 shot My Manekineko.

“He was very good. There was a long conversation in the yard this morning about whether to run or not on the ground,” said Power.

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