IT may only be mid-September but there were some notable National Hunt performances at Galway on Monday afternoon.

Willie Mullins unveiled a very promising hurdler in Stratum, a 160,000gns purchase out of the John Gosden yard. The four-year-old Dansili gelding, who was rated 87 on the flat, had little trouble justifying 1/2 favouritism under Ruby Walsh in the two-mile maiden hurdle which opened the meeting.

Stratum carries the colours of Tony Bloom, owner of Penhill which Mullins trained to win the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last March.

Later on the card, the Henry de Bromhead-trained Montana Belle made a smart winning debut over fences. The seven-year-old High Chaparral mare was taking on geldings in the two-mile, two-furlong beginners’ chase.

Sent off the 9/4 favourite, Andrew Lynch’s mount ran out a comfortable five-length winner from Noel Meade’s Ain’t Dunne Yet.

Meade had earlier seen his Moyross win the two-mile, five-furlong maiden hurdle in good style from the Alan Fleming-trained Suncroft. A six-year-old by Kayf Tara, Moyross won a Loughrea point-to-point before joining Meade and had some decent bumper form from last season.

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