THE National Hunt season moved up a gear at Punchestown on Wednesday when top chaser Galvin made a winning reappearance in the Grade 3 Irish Daily Star Chase.

Winner of the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown last Christmas, the Gordon Elliott-trained eight-year-old was a well-beaten fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and ran well below form when a distant sixth in the Punchestown equivalent last April.

However, Davy Russell's mount found things much easier in Wednesday's race, a contest he also won a year ago. Sent off the 11/10 favourite this time, he had to give 12lb and upwards to his rivals but he was always travelling well and was not fully extended to beat stable companion Run Wild Fred by over five lengths.

Elliott said: “Davy said he jumped like a buck from fence to fence. Fitness-wise, he is probably a little bit behind where he was last year and he’ll come on for it, but it’s a nice start. He’ll head now to Down Royal probably along with Conflated.

“He doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He keeps pulling it out every year and we are lucky to have him.

“Jack (Kennedy) said Run Wild Fred would be better off in a big handicap, but that will leave him spot on. He fell last time in the National and was a bit careful over the first four or five. He’ll go for a good handicap chase.”

Novice chase

On the same card, the Willie Mullins-trained Adamantly Chosen overcame a first fence blunder before eventually winning the Grade 3 novice chase comfortably.

Adamantly Chosen could now head straight to the Drinmore Novices’ Chase at Fairyhouse.

The winning trainer said: “I was very impressed with his jumping, albeit that he made that bad mistake early on. He jumped from fence to fence, likes that ground and going right-handed seems to suit him.

“Danny thought he wouldn’t have any problem going out in trip either. We’ll have to take a look at the Drinmore and I don’t think he’d want a run in between.”

Horse to follow

But perhaps the horse to take out of the meeting was Barry Connell's dual bumper winner Marine Nationale, who made a very impressive debut over timber in the maiden hurdle.

Connell is looking to step Marine Nationale up in class after giving him a little more experience.

After welcoming the 4/9 favourite into the winner’s enclosure, he said: “He jumped well and has schooled well at home. Sam Curling had him as a four-year-old and he was ready to run in point-to-points so he had loads of that done.

“He could probably do with another run and may go for a Grade 3 in Navan (For Auction Novice Hurdle, on November 13th) with a view, if he’s still on track, to going for the Royal Bond after that.

“He’s having a good blow after that. He wasn’t as impressive as he was in his bumpers, but did what he had to do today. It’s a good start.

"He was in his hands a bit early on. He’s a horse that would not want soft ground and usually Fairyhouse before Christmas and Leopardstown should be ideal.

“He’s a great horse to have and it’s early days. Who knows what is going to come out, but we are happy to have that out of the way.”