THE Willie Mullins bandwagon is really starting to go full steam as the champion trainer picked up from where he left off at Naas on Friday with a treble at Fairyouse on Saturday, highlighted by Uncle Phil’s win in the feature €100,000 SBK Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase.

The Joe and Marie Donnelly-owned chaser jumped smoothly from a prominent position, and though the well-backed favourite Letsbeclearabout looked a real threat before the home turn, Paul Townend always looked happy, bringing his horse over to the stands’ side rail.

He kept on nicely for a three-and-three-quarter-length score over Lucid Dreams with Letsbeclearaboutit back in third.

Uncle Phil only got to a level of 125 over hurdles but he’s clearly a different proposition over fences, scoring his third win from six starts off a mark of 139. His jumping was key and there could be a lot more to come, as it was notable that his rider was very much hoping for no further rain so he may well have been winning in spite of the soft ground.

The Grand Annual looks a natural target for him at the Cheltenham Festival.

“His run at Punchestown against Imagine (Grade 2 Craddockstown) was decent,” said Townend. “He probably got his own way that day but today his jumping was so good, he was putting them under pressure and the drying ground helped.

“You don’t know what to expect coming here but I thought his jumping and his run the last day would bring him a long way. Every dry day was helping him.”

Townend rode all three of Mullins’s winners, which kicked off in the opening Racing TV Club Day At Fairyhouse Hurdle where Miss Manzor led home stablemate Karia Des Blaises.

Both of these fillies were recruited from France where they had previous experience over hurdles before making their Irish/stable debuts in the Grade 2 contest won by Kala Conti at Leopardstown on St Stephen’s Day. Miss Manzor finished ahead of her stablemate when seventh in that contest and she confirmed that form with a decent front-running performance.

“She jumped brilliantly,” said Townend of the Kenny Alexander-owned mare. “She stays really well and she enjoyed being out in front. I used her experience from France and was able to keep it simple. She was quick through the air and had a winning attitude.

“It’s a tricky time of year with juvenile hurdlers and I’m forever getting them wrong. I didn’t think there was much between these two but I got the run of the race. She will progress away.”

Hunters Yarn completed the treble, but not without another scare in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase.

The seven-year-old had come down at the last when in control of a beginners’ chase at this track last month, and he had to survive a significant late error here, walloping into the second last.

In fairness to the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned chaser, he had jumped well up until that mistake, and he showed a fair amount of ability to recover from it, coming back on the bridle and easily accounting for Firm Footings in second.

THE vibes about the £420,000 purchase Romeo Coolio had been ultra positive in the last few weeks and on course for his debut, and the Gordon Elliott-trained gelding got the job done in the closing SBK INH Flat Race.

He raced towards the head of affairs in a steadily-run contest, picked up well for Harry Swan to open up a lead early in the straight, but even with main market rival Yoradreamer fading back, he was hard pressed to beat Pat Fahy’s Soaring Glory by a length. The relief in the parade ring from all concerned afterwards was palpable, and Elliott doubled down on his confidence in the son of Kayf Tara.

“He is having a proper blow,” he said. “It was a very messy race, they went no gallop. On the day, 80% of mine ran below par but I think he’s a proper horse. It’s all about the future with this horse, I think he’s a real one. We’ll go straight to Cheltenham (for Champion Bumper). I’m not worried about today, the race was very messy, it didn’t work out. They went no gallop and he is a big galloping horse and Harry said he wasn’t doing a tap in front.”

Mint Boy had a nice unexposed profile going into the three-mile SBK Handicap Hurdle and he ran out a nice winner for Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donoghue.

Owned by Eamon Walters’ Alymer Stud, the six-year-old ran well when second to Easy Fella at Thurles on his previous run, and he travelled smoothly into the lead before the last from his mid-division position. He was untidy at the last but had a decent advantage to hold off Castle Field Boy and Prince Palace, who caught the eye in third.

“He might have needed the line a bit there but three miles suits him well,” said Cromwell. “We’ll see what the handicapper does and we’ll look for something similar. He ran well the last day and the pair of them pulled clear.”

INTENSE Raffles was a notable first runner for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede with Meath trainer Tom Gibney, and the new connection got off to a winning start in a rated novice chase.

The French recruit jumped smoothly for Daryl Jacob in front and it was clear he was going best early in the straight. He comfortably accounted for Where It All Began and favourite Neveradullmoment.

The son of Martaline put up a decent performance here and while his trainer has no real plan for him, a mark of 117 looks quite attractive back over hurdles.

“Sure that’s the dream start,” said Gibney regarding his first winner for these owners. “The race really suited and we thought he was on a fair mark on his early French form. It was nice, I was happy the whole way through.

“It’s great to get the horse to start with and I’m delighted to get them a winner. I don’t know where we’ll go, we’re just learning about him really.”

Match

The SBK Mares Maiden Hurdle shaped up to be a match between Magic Dawn and Joya Del Mar but it was dominated from the outset by Saddle Her Up and True Testimony, the latter showing a good attitude to score for Barry Fitzgerald and Sean Cleary-Farrell.

The Clodagh Fitzgerald-owned mare settled nicely in behind True Testimony, who had been well backed beforehand, and eventually saw her off after the last hurdle.

“She had a great run at Leopardstown (fourth to Ballyburn),” said the Carlow trainer. “We dropped her back two furlongs and she stayed perfectly today. Sean gave her a lovely ride. She can be a bit keen but today she settled in behind the front runner and relaxed from there.”