A PAUL Townend treble reduced the gap to 16 (97-81) between him and his championship rival Jack Kennedy, who 24 hours earlier completed a four-timer at Down Royal, while champion trainer Willie Mullins sent out a four-timer on the day.

Spread Boss Ted set the ball rolling for the Townend/Mullins alliance following up a maiden hurdle win at Navan last month by beating three rivals in the Easter Festival March 30th – April 1st Novice Hurdle.

The 2/5 favourite drew clear of the front-running Glen Kiln before the final flight and, despite being far from fluent at the last, kept on to score by three and a half lengths.

“I went out to settle him and thought I was after doing too good of a job at halfway! He closed up quickly when I asked him and was probably going to win impressively when he missed the last.

“It’s hard to get going again on that (heavy) ground. If he settles like that he could go out further in trip,” said Townend, sporting the blue and pink colours of owner/breeder Roger Brookhouse.

Point-to-point winner Spindleberry, available at 5/1 in the morning and sent off at half those odds, got her hurdling career off to the best possible start when taking the Hay ‘How Are Ya’ Campaign Mares Maiden Hurdle.

Strongly

Owned by Fearghal and Bronagh Eastwood, the free-running daughter of Policy Maker jumped past True Testimony two out and kept on strongly to beat that rival by nine lengths.

“She was fresh, we were hacking early and she was doing plenty. She jumped super the whole way around, probably a bit too well early on which was getting me competitive without wanting to be,” said Townend before adding: “Coming off a break that will knock the freshness out of her and she showed a very willing attitude to stay going after being as keen as she was for the first mile of the race. She’s lightly raced too and only had one run in a bumper, so I think she’ll improve away.”

Townend brought up his treble aboard O’Moore Park in the Fairyhouse Supporting Treo Eile Maiden Hurdle. The Susannah Ricci-owned gelding readily landed odds of 8/11 when making all in this two miles and five-furlongs event and took command after two out to beat Lucky Lyreen by nine lengths.

Townend said: “He benefitted from the run the last day which knocked the freshness out of him and brought him on.

“On that ground to pick up like he did when I gave him a squeeze at the back of the last was nice. He’s going to be a chaser and I think he can go further.”

WITH an eye to the future, Mirazur West was probably the most significant Mullins winner on the day when also justifying odds of 8/11 by making all in the Easter Festival Early Bird Maiden Hurdle.

Ridden by Mark Walsh for his retained owner J.P. McManus, the Westerner gelding’s task was greatly eased when chief market rival D B Cooper fatally broke down just after three out and he was soon in command to beat Al Gasparo by 11 lengths.

“He’s still learning and settled a lot better today than he did in Leopardstown. He’s well able to jump, there is no issue with that anyway, it’s just keeping him relaxed,” said Walsh.

“I only found out when I pulled up that Jack’s horse had gone wrong. It takes away from the race and is very unfortunate.”

Mirazur West remains unchanged at 14/1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Paddy Power and Betfair.

THE seven-race card got underway with a sound round of jumping by the lightly-raced Farmers Lodge to make a winning start over fences in the Fairyhouse For Fundraisers Beginners Chase.

The 5/4 favourite drew clear after two out under Michael O’Sullivan for an easy four and a quarter-lengths win from the mistake-prone MacDermott, and owner/trainer Barry Connell explained afterwards: “I think we have him four years and he hasn’t been simple - he’s had lots of little niggles.

“We ran him in a maiden hurdle at Navan and then there was a two-year gap and he ran twice at Thurles in two good races as it turned out.

“He’s a natural to jump and the only question mark I had today was would he handle the heavy ground as he’d never run on it, but our gallop is deep Wexford sand so he’d no trouble getting through it.

“We’ll get a mark and go for a handicap somewhere. His jumping is good enough for two (miles) and he could go two and a half on better ground.”

Better form

Oliver McKiernan’s string have been in much better form recently and Bushmans Pass (5/1) added to a win at the Limerick Christmas meeting when stretching away on the run-in under Phillip Enright to beat Evies Vladimir by three and three-quarter lengths in the two miles and five furlongs Follow Fairyhouse On Social Media Handicap Chase.

“He wasn’t foot perfect at a few fences over the far side but lost no momentum and travelled well around to the last two which he jumped well. He definitely will stay further and handles that ground,” said McKiernan.

Rusheen, beaten a nose at Limerick last time, came out on the right side of a very tight finish as the Danny Mullins-ridden 9/2 shot edged out Junot by a short-head in the Jump Into January At Fairyhouse Handicap Hurdle, with the pair pulling 18 lengths clear of the third.

“I’m delighted to get that for the lads (Rusheen Partnership) as I was afraid of my life that we were going to get caught again today,” said Bandon trainer James Dullea.

“He handles that ground but hopefully will be better on better ground. He’s naturally a very good jumper but not quite as good on that ground. He’s a chaser but won’t jump a fence until next year.”