DANCING City was the star performer in a four-timer for Willie Mullins at Punchestown on Tuesday.

The triple Grade 1-winner went to post a 2/5 shot on his first outing over fences in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase.

It proved plain sailing for Joe Donnelly’s gelding, as he went on after the eighth fence and asserted down to the last to record a convincing length-and-a-half success.

The Feel Like Dancing gelding pleased Paul Townend with his round of jumping and he said afterwards: “That was nice, he jumped brilliantly in the main and then took in the scenery down the straight!

“I gave him a slap going to the last to make him concentrate and he jumped it well. When we heard another one coming, he pulled out plenty again.

“It’s as good a start as you could hope for. He’s very good, he has been good since he started and we were hoping for that.”

The same yellow and black colours were carried by Kitzbuhel in the two-mile conditions hurdle later on the card, as he made a winning start on Irish soil.

Townend made the running on the 3/1 shot and the Cokoriko four-year-old had the measure of Colonel Mustard before the last, as he posted an impressive three and three-quarter success.

Very nice

The winning rider was taken with his mount and reported: “That was very nice. He stays really well, he looked that way in France, and he’ll handle the depths of winter.

“He has a lovely temperament, he had experience and he’s probably been jumping since he was a yearling.

“He jumped brilliantly and he gallops and covers ground. He’ll stay a lot further. He beat good horses there and he’s a nice staying type.”

THE feature event on the card was the Listed Mares Novice Hurdle over two miles and three furlongs and Hey Sunshine showed a smart turn of foot to land the spoils.

Townend tracked the leaders on the 11/8 favourite before producing her between horses to lead going to the last.

The Shantou mare was soon in control and stayed on strongly to record a three-and-a-half length success over Tareze.

“She’s improving every run and has a lovely attitude for it, really wants it,” said Townend. “The step up in trip helped and she hit the line strong again.

“I don’t know if she’d handle heavy ground, but she’ll handle nice winter ground. She handled that better than I thought though and maybe she will handle it.”

Hey Sunshine is owned by a syndicate set up by Temple Bloodstock (a.k.a. Aubrey McMahon) and his father Luke was also on the scoresheet, when You Oughta Know won the following race.

Danny Mullins bagged the victory this time, as stablemate Port Joulain pulled up after the third flight having suffered an overreach.

Cozy success

The 7/4 shot travelled well to assert before the last and record a cosy 11-length success in the Irish Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle.

“It was good. It was a funny race with Paul’s lad pulling up lame. I was a bit raw in front, but ability shone through in the end and it was a good performance from him,” said Mullins.

“He started off last season very well, but whatever went wrong he seems to be back showing what he can do now.”

JAMES’S Gate got his career back on track, when running out an easy winner of the two miles and three maiden hurdle for Martin Brassil.

The Shantou gelding was third behind Facile Vega in the 2022 Cheltenham bumper, but has had his issues and was last seen finishing a well-beaten third in Grade 2 company at this venue in January.

It proved plain sailing for Sean Mulryan’s gelding, as he travelled well to lead turning for home, under Ricky Doyle, and went on to post a four-and-a-half length success.

“He’s had his problems, but he’s been in a good place since he came back this summer,” said Brassil.

“We know he has raw talent from his bumper days and we’ll see how much we can capitalise on that.

“I’d like to see his jumping improve a bit, but he could be a talented horse going forward.”

Future ahead

Ifiwerearichman is another horse with his future ahead of him, after a cosy win in the opening rated novice chase on the card.

Sean O’Keeffe produced the 11/2 shot to lead going to the last and he asserted in good style to record a six-and-a-half length win.

James Nolan was representing his brother Paul afterwards and he said: “He was always too keen in his younger days and maybe not getting home as well, but now he’s the opposite.

“He settled really well and he didn’t really pick it up until he turned in and found loads.

“I have to mention a member of the (Capital Racing) syndicate, Phil Byrne, the man that owned Feetofadancer, who died suddenly not so long ago. He was a great friend of ours and it will be emotional for all the lads involved.

“Phil organised the syndicate and got all those lads together. I hope it gives Cathy and the kids a lift, that’s the most important part of it.”

Patience pays

Sammy Smart justified support in the first division of the two-mile-seven handicap hurdle, when coming with a well-timed run.

Darragh O’Keeffe led before the last on the 8/1 shot (16/1 in morning) to record a three-parts-of-a-length win over the staying on Comeonarchie.

“It’s great and I’m delighted to get the winner for Kevin (Haigney), as he’s been very patient. We hadn’t bought him long and he got injured and was out for a while,” said trainer Tom Gibney.

“We thought he could do that a long time ago, but we got there in the end.”

Shantou Princess was also well-backed, when landing the second heat for Gavin Cromwell.

The 4/1 favourite (12/1 in morning) was prominent throughout and asserted before the last, under Keith Donoghue, to record an easy four-and-three-quarter length success.

“She won a point-to-point and the step up in trip was a big help to her,” said Cromwell. “She was long at the last couple, but she got away with it, she’s only a small thing and is brave anyway.

“There is a 110 at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day and we might look at something like that.”