SECOND, beaten a neck, to Aux Ptits Soins in the Coral Cup (Grade 3) at Cheltenham then third behind Jezki in the Ladbrokes World Series Hurdle (Grade 1) at the Punchestown Festival, Zabana returned to winning ways on Monday at Leopardstown where he won the Ballymaloe Foods Beginners Chase on his chasing debut.

The six-year-old Halling gelding, trained by Andy Lynch for Chris Jones, is the latest in a list of winners purchased by Co Antrim-based Kevin Ross Bloodstock who signed for the chestnut at €30,000 at Goffs in October 2012. A winner and placed in three of his eight starts on the flat at that stage, Zabana has come into his own over jumps and was recording his fifth National Hunt success on Monday.