ARKLE Chase winner El Fabiolo returned at Cork on Sunday where the antepost Champion Chase favourite easily landed the Grade 2 Bar One Hilly Way Chase for trainer Willie Mullins, owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede and jockey Paul Townend.

Undefeated in four chases last term, including three runs at Grade 1 level, the six-year-old raced keenly here on his reappearance and while his jumping was also low at times, he had little difficulty conceding 8lb to runner-up Fil Dor, whom he defeated by just under five lengths.

“I was a little worried as I had five other runners today and none of them shone so I was thinking this could be one of those days, but he got the job done,” Mullins said.

“He was workmanlike and was very free with Paul over the first three fences. He didn’t get too high (in jumping) and Paul was trying to not let his head go and didn’t want him running too free.

“He relaxed at the second fence down the back straight and was able to do things properly. If he needed a race, Jack Kennedy (on runner-up Fil Dor) was there to test him and he did.”

Owner/jockey Anthony Bustin enjoyed a memorable success on the big race-day, recording a second winner with Cafe Con Leche causing a 40/1 upset for trainer Charles Byrnes in the Bar One Racing Handicap Hurdle.

Bustin tracked the leaders on the quirky seven-year-old who improved to lead inside the final furlong, beating Ricky Bobby by a length and a half.

The rider reported: “I had another mare who won a maiden hurdle at Wexford (in 2022) and she is in foal. All my family were there that day and they’re here today as well, so it is brilliant.

“I’ve always been into horses but at one stage gave up riding and did a college course but being indoors wasn’t very good for me!”

Trainer Byrnes added: “I’m delighted for Anthony who works for me and he claimed the horse. I recommended him for €10,000 as he was looking for a horse to ride and I thought this fella would give him plenty of fun.

“I don’t think anyone had too much money on but it doesn’t matter.”

THE best of the other action, the Grade 2 O’Flynn Group Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase, was won by 33/1 outsider Silent Approach, for owner/breeder/trainer Con O’Keeffe and jockey Danny Mullins.

Despite failing in nine hurdle attempts, the Walk In The Park mare won on chase debut at Gowran in November and today followed up when racing prominently and beating Harmonya Maker by three and a quarter lengths.

O’Keeffe owns Silent Approach in partnership with Tadhg O’Sullivan and said: “It is a great win and I must dedicate it to my wife Claire who lost her mother Peggy last week. She was always the first one to ring me after we won a race so this is great for Claire and my family.

“We have been jumping hurdles all year but the lads have been saying to jump fences and she is a fantastic jumper who is improving all the time.

“We were hopeful as she was in great form and Danny gave her a fantastic ride. Credit also to the lads Larry, Eddie, Justin and Dylan at home as they have done fantastic work with her.

“We have had the family for three generations and you could write what I know about training horses on a postage stamp, as breeding is our game. I’m delighted for Tadhg (O’Sullivan, joint-owner) who has been with me with our horses from the beginning.”

West Away

The concluding Greenvalley Transport Novice Handicap Hurdle was won by the John McConnell-trained West Away (10/1, for the Rockview Racing Syndicate), under Ben Harvey.

Afterwards jockey Harvey said: “Stepping up in trip seems to have brought out the best in him and he loved that slower ground. It has taken him a while to put things together as he was immature and hopefully can build on that.

“He was second in an English point-to-point bumper so it was a good purchase by John to buy him cheaply (for £7,000).”

RACING began with three Jack Kennedy-partnered winners, with the last of those coming in the Grade 3 Singletons Supervalu Stayers Novice Hurdle on his employer Gordon Elliott’s Search For Glory (7/4 favourite), for Gigginstown House Stud.

Search For Glory defeated Solitary Man by three lengths and afterwards Kennedy commented: “He stays well, jumped and travelled great and is a progressive horse. He is a staying horse and hopefully he keeps going the right way now.”

Elliott and Kennedy earlier combined to win the Bar One Racing Maiden Hurdle with Caldwell Construction Ltd’s No Time To Wait (3/1), which won readily by six lengths from Teuchters Glory.

Kennedy said: “It was a good performance and it was a step up from the last day so he is a nice horse. I was hoping he’d do that the last day but it was good he did it today, he jumped great and loved the ground.”

Kennedy initiated his treble in the opening Bar One Racing 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle as Gigginstown’s Harsh justified 2/5 favouritism in winning by eight lengths, despite jumping sketchily.

Winning trainer Joseph O’Brien wasn’t present, so the winning rider said: “His last jump was his best and it took him a while to warm into it. Some horses don’t really take to those rubber hurdles but he is a nice horse.

“He is learning away the whole time and it was probably a good race he finished third in at Punchestown. It was nice to get today done.”