HENRY de Bromhead sent out four winners across the three St Stephen’s Day meetings in Ireland and two of them came early on at Down Royal, where the Knockeen handler landed the opening two contests.

In the INH Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle, Air Of Entitlement (5/2 favourite) travelled all over her rivals at the business end and the Robcour-owned point-to-point and bumper winner wasn’t hard pressed at all to see off Ballybow by three and a half lengths.

Rider Sean Flanagan reported: “She’s a very promising mare, jumped fantastic and obviously had the experience of point-to-pointing as well. It was probably a middling enough contest on paper, but I couldn’t have won any easier than I did.”

Flanagan had an even easier time of things on Basil Holian’s 2/7 favourite Downmexicoway, who made all to beat Scalpnagoon by 10 lengths in the Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle.

Flanagan said of the Champs Elysees gelding, who had been runner-up in his first two hurdle starts: “There was no pace and he has won over three miles in a point-to-point, so I popped out and he has jumped from hurdle to hurdle and I built into it well. He has finished off really strong and was very, very professional.”

Well shows stamina

A dual course winner over fences earlier in the year, St Denis’s Well (2/1 favourite) made all under James Smith to take the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle by two lengths from Albatala.

Ian Donoghue said of the Famous Name chesnut, owned by the Declans Bar Syndicate: “I said to James that there’s blinkers on and go out and gallop them into the ground and that is what he did. He does stay further.

“Even when he was second at Navan, he travelled into it very well and then idled a bit when he hit the front. Today was a case of throwing the blinkers on him and seeing what happens. He’s a very honest horse and he doesn’t actually need the blinkers, but it just keeps him concentrating that bit longer.

“I was kind of confident, given his ability over fences, that he would go hard and burn them off and that’s what he did.”

“The key to him is slower ground and he just got away with that there today.”

HAVING shown promise in a couple of point-to-points in the spring, Big Interest (6/1) made most to land the Metcollect Oil Recycling Hunters Chase on his Rules debut.

Ridden by Barry O’Neill, the Soldier Of Fortune came home four and three quarter lengths ahead of top hunter Its On The Line, who made late gains having been conservatively ridden on his first outing of the campaign.

David Christie, who trains the winner for Ray Nicholas, said: “I think he will improve a lot from that. It was his racecourse debut and he’s only a five-year-old. He could be one for Naas in February and then we will see after that.”

Export on top

Flat and hurdles winner Global Export (9/1) landed a thrilling renewal of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase for Gavin Cromwell and Conor Stone-Walsh.

The 9/1 shot, owned by Eamon Buggle, got up close home to beat On Lovers Walk and Banprionsa by a head and a neck.

Stone-Walsh said: “He jumped brilliant the whole way around, a few small niggly mistakes, but you would forgive him that. He’s only had a few runs over fences. To be fair, when I needed him down to the last, he was good and brave.

“The pace of the race probably suited. I thought we went a good gallop and he stayed on well to the line.”

THE Crawford brothers introduced a nice prospect, when Kilwaughter (12/1) accounted for the market leaders in the Metcollect Metal Recycling (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.

In the hands of Stephen Connor, the Milan youngster came from mid-division to tackle short-priced favourite Theflyingking inside the final furlong and got on top close home to score by three parts of a length.

Trainer Stuart Crawford divulged at the number one spot: “I really, really fancied this horse. He was to go to Punchestown for the Land Rover Bumper or the Defender Bumper and got a wee bit of a knock a couple of days before it. We ended up throwing him to the grass.

“He will probably go on any sort of ground. That would definitely be as good a ground as I would want. I think he would handle soft ground equally as well. I actually had an engagement for him at Dromahane point-to-point as well, so he could have gone there. This is on our doorstep rather than six hours down the road.

“He’s obviously in my own colours - whether he will stay that way or not, I don’t know. He’ll be for sale, but I’d love to be holding on to him. You’d be hoping he would be the sort of horse, if he progressed in the spring, for one of the good bumpers.”

McParlan family success

Le Malin (17/2) took the Metcollect Handicap Chase at Down Royal for the father and son team of Sean and Noel McParlan.

Rising 11, Le Malin led three out, but was being strongly pressed by Tankardstown Diva, when that one crumpled on landing at the last. The winner was left clear to beat One Night Standard by five and a half lengths.

“You have to jump them! I think he had the measure of the other one anyway,” said successful handler Sean McParlan in the aftermath. “The trip was a wee bit short for him, but he stays on. I’ll give him three weeks or a month and see how he is.”