CHATEAU Conti got back on track in the www.fairyhouse.ie Hurdle for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh.

The French import looked exciting when making a winning start to his Irish career at Cork In January but his limitations were exposed in the Deloitte, and he was pulled-up on his following couple of starts.

He has clearly improved during his summer holiday, though, because after tracking The Storyteller when the market leader took it up after two out, a slicker leap at the last carried Chateau Conti (2/1) to the front and he ran right the way to the line to cross it with two and a quarter lengths to spare.

Walsh said: "I thought The Storyteller maybe had me going to the last but he made a bad mistake and I got by him.

"He won well on his debut and then didn't quite build on that last year. It's a good starting point but we thought we had a good starting point last year as well and it went downhill, so time will tell how we get on."

Mullins is in Australia where he saddled Max Dynamite to finish third in the Melbourne Cup, and Walsh added: "I don't honestly know the plan and it's the middle of the night in Australia so Willie isn't going to answer that question for us now either!

"It's great to win and it's a good starting point for the season anyway."

EXPECTATIONS

Mitchouka did all that was expected of him in the Racing On New Years Day 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle.

Just touched off on his jumping debut at Thurles, Gordon Elliott's French import was sent off the 1/5 favourite and headed the chasing pack as Dan Gun raced into a clear lead.

He closed the gap to take it up travelling powerfully two out, which he got slightly wrong, but there was plenty left in the tank and a better jump at the last helped him ease 10 lengths away from Tenth Amendment.

"I'd say it wasn't the strongest race in the world but he did it nicely and did all he could do," said Elliott. "He probably came on a good bit from the last day. He was as fit as I could have him but, like a lot of ours, they come on for the first run.

"He'll probably have to come back here (Bar One Racing Juvenile Hurdle, 3rd December) as there is nowhere else to go."

Jetz made it second-time lucky over timber in the Book Your Christmas Party At Fairyhouse December 16th Maiden Hurdle.

After showing promise in bumpers, Jessica Harrington's five-year-old, who is from the family of Jezki, signed off his first campaign with a third in a maiden hurdle at Killarney.

That jumping experience gave him an edge over market principals Monbeg Worldwide and Canardier, who were snapping at his heels two out, but Robbie Power still hadn't asked for maximum effort and when he did, Jetz stretched five lengths clear of Monbeg Worldwide.

Power said of the 4/1 winner: "He had a lot of problems with his back last year and he still hung badly left the whole way today.

"Maybe he'll take a run or two to get his confidence back. He jumped an awful lot better, jumped really well today, and galloped away well.

"He'd been working well at home and we've been very happy with him. Like a few of ours, we were afraid he might take the run. He took a blow, filled himself, and stayed going again.

"He kind of half ran away with me for the first half a mile so it wasn't the plan to make it. There was no point in two of us fighting, he wanted to get on with things and he had the experience.

"He'll definitely stay three miles and he'll be an awful lot better horse going left-handed."

INJURY

Conor Brassil was taken to hospital after suffering a suspected broken leg in a fall in the final race.

The 5lb claimer, son of Grand National-winning trainer Martin Brassil, was partnering Demi Plie in the two-mile handicap hurdle when his mount came to grief at the third flight.

Brassil received attention from on-course medical staff and was then taken to hospital for further assessment.

Martin Brassil told Press Association Sport: "It's not confirmed but it looks like he's broken his leg. It's below the knee on the shin bone.

"He's not long been back from injury and 2017 hasn't been a great year for him, but he's coming out the other side."

READ THE FULL FAIRYHOUSE REPORT IN NEXT WEEKEND'S EDITION OF THE IRISH FIELD