ENVOI Allen was forced to surrender his unbeaten seasonal reappearance record in the PWC Champion Chase, as the highly admirable Easy Game jumped his rivals into the ground to capture the Grade 2 prize for a third time in four years.

A specialist in small-field chases, the Willie Mullins-trained stalwart has now won 12 of his 16 starts when running over fences in races with six or less runners, and he would likely have been going for a record-equalling fourth win in this race had he not came down at the third last here in 2021.

The Nick Peacock-owned nine-year-old, sent off at 3/1, was in excellent heart and boxed on gamely to beat the returning Gentlemansgame (7/4) by a length and a half under Paul Townend.

Third-placed Envoi Allen, who was easy to back late on at 13/8 and went down by eight and a half lengths, got on the backfoot when hitting the seventh of 14 fences and never really looked like reeling in the front pair despite taking closer order at the top of the straight.

Strong combination

Townend said: “He’s been an unbelievable horse for us; that’s my tenth winner on him. The ground was a bit of a worry but when I had a walk around on it, I was pleasantly surprised with the way it had taken the rain.

“He just keeps on delivering. We had race fitness and were able to dictate it, but he showed at Listowel a couple of runs ago that he can come from behind too.

“I think the opposition kind of presumes he’s going to make the running now as well. He enjoys jumping and it’s working so we’ll keep doing it.”

Mullins was winning the Gowran feature for a record-equalling fifth time, including a fourth in succession. Easy Game’s prize money has also now exceeded €500,000.

IT was an excellent afternoon at the office for Gavin Cromwell, Keith Donoghue and Alymer Stud as they registered a double with promising novices.

Letsbeclearaboutit (4/6 favourite), a fine fourth in last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, opened his account at the first time of asking over fences in the Join Gowran Park Racing Club Beginners Chase over two and a half miles - seeing off Largy Debut by a comfortable five lengths.

With the exception of a minor scare at the final fence, he took to his new discipline well at the age of eight.

Donoghue said: “It was a good performance. He had a little bit of a look at them early on but he’s a good jumper and I couldn’t have asked him to do it much easier. He was just ready to start.”

Mint performance

Donoghue was seen at his very best aboard the same connections’ Mint Boy in the two-and-a-half-mile Golf Memberships At Gowran Park Maiden Hurdle, getting on top extremely late to deny odds-on favourite Zaidi.

A debut point-to-point winner at four last December, the Mount Nelson gelding was placed in a couple of bumpers last spring before finishing down the field in a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle. Zaidi (SP 4/5) traded as short as 1/25 in the in-running markets before being reeled in by the 15/8 winner.

Donoghue said: “He’s a nice horse and had a couple of good runs in bumpers last year. He was probably just a big weak horse at Fairyhouse. He jumped a little bit clumsy but he got the hang of it and put up a good performance. I’d say he’s a stayer and will be a nice horse in time.”

Thinker on top

Cromwell and Donoghue were narrowly denied a treble from three runners on the card when Railway Hurricane bumped into the well-handicapped Positive Thinker in the Hospitality At Gowran Park Handicap Chase over two and a half miles.

Owner-trainer Michael McDonogh’s six-year-old is now two from two since going chasing, and looks to have improved for the switch to fences.

Speaking after the two-and-a-half-length victory as 10/11 favourite, winning rider Sean O’Keeffe said: “He was very tough. It was only his second run over fences and he was brave down over the last three.

“All the team with Michael have done a good job with him - to win two handicaps in two runs over fences is a good training job.”

TRAMORE, Co Waterford teenager Ethan O’Sullivan had a landmark day as he recorded his first winner aboard the Eoin Griffin-trained Great Island in the Joe Bollard Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

The RACE graduate, who had his first ride at Dundalk last December, came home an easy 16-length winner on Martina Griffin’s handicap debutant at 12/1.

“I have to thank so many people for getting me here - too many to mention,” said the winning rider, aged 17.

“I can’t get over this, it was brilliant. When I jumped the last and nobody was with me, I can’t explain the feeling. This horse travelled beautifully and kept coming for me. I’m over the moon.

“I’m with Eoin every Sunday and I couldn’t believe when he put me down for this ride. I can’t thank him enough. He’s a lovely man and a brilliant trainer.”

Ringdufferin delivers

There was a similarly comfortable winner of the most valuable hurdle on the card, the €22,000 Jack Duggan Memorial Handicap Hurdle, as Ringdufferin (8/1) bolted up by six and a half lengths from last year’s winner Walking On Glass.

Ridden by Jordan Gainford and trained by Gordon Elliott, the Alan Dunlop-owned novice made it back-to-back wins over hurdles, having previously scored at Downpatrick.

Elliott’s assistant Ian ‘Busty’ Amond said: “Jordan just kept it simple and bounced him out because he knew he would stay going. He didn’t think there was going to be a whole lot of pace in it.

“It was straightforward, he stayed and jumped well - he did everything right. He’s improving away. It’s great for Bill and Alan Dunlop, who made the long trip down.”

Question has the answer

Noel Meade supplied the strong-staying winner of the opening www.gowranpark.ie 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle when Open To Question produced a likeable performance to score on his first start over hurdles.

Patricia Hunt’s Noble Mission gelding, rated 76 over hurdles, was easy to back at 14/1 but toughed it out well for a two-and-three-quarters-of-a-length victory under Sean Flanagan.

“He had first-time blinkers and took a good look early,” said Flanagan.

“He jumped a little bit slow but when the race opened up a little bit towards the end, and I got stuck into him, he actually picked up and went away well.

“His best form suggested he had a big chance and Noel was adamant that he’d enjoy the ground.”