EASY Game (5/6 favourite) registering a 17th career success and a fourth at Listowel on Monday as the nine-year-old landed Listowel’s John J. Galvin Chase for owner Nick Peacock, Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.

Conceding weight to recent winner Jeremys Flame, Aintree victor Dancing On My Own and front-runner Effernock Fizz, Easy Game jumped with customary exuberance and shook off Dancing On My Own in the straight, scoring by three and a half lengths.

Townend, who joins fellow professional jump jockeys on a month’s holidays tomorrow, reported: “He’s brilliant, isn’t he? They’ve done a great job placing him and he has a great appetite for racing.

“There definitely was greater strength in depth this year than last and it was tight enough on ratings.

“I jumped into the race probably sooner than I wanted to but I wasn’t disappointing him at that stage, and once he got on top, all I had to do was keep him up to his work.

“He doesn’t need a lot of encouragement to jump but you can trust him with your life now.

“It was a different story when he was a novice and was letting fly. You’d put anyone up on him now, he’s a great spin, and a joy to have anything to do with.”

Double

Mullins went on to complete a double in the concluding Bryan McMahon Bumper, which was won by the Jody Townend-partnered High Class Hero (11/10 favourite), for owners Sullivan Bloodstock.

It was the chesnut gelding’s first run since a point-to-point success for Matthew Flynn O’Connor in November 2021 and afterwards Townend said: “He is a big horse - he missed out last year, but it might have stood to him as he was backward.

“He is a nice horse and might have been a bit on his head. He quickened well to the line and found more than I thought he would. He’ll definitely be nice to go jumping.”

THE most valuable race was the €22,000 Join Racing TV Now Handicap Hurdle which was won by the J.P. McManus-owned Glan (100/30) and continued 7lb claimer Danny Gilligan’s good recent association with winning trainer Gordon Elliott.

Glan led between the final two flights, scoring by two and a half lengths from Grange Walk to notch Gilligan’s ninth winner already this season.

The rider reported: “That was straightforward. She settled lovely, she jumped brilliantly, and she was good and gutsy under me. She did everything I asked of her, and I couldn’t be any happier with her.

“She can be a small bit keen, but she was very good today and hopefully she can keep progressing off that.”

Fowler delighted

Trainer Lorna Fowler was relieved and delighted in equal measure to see her Call Her Now (11/1) win the Nora Canty Maiden Hurdle, with the Peter Davies-owned mare scoring on her reappearance from a long absence.

Ridden by Kieren Buckley, the Presenting mare made all and while she made a final flight error, scored readily from Our Girl Sal.

Fowler commented: “That is one of my most satisfying winners as she has loads of ability and is gorgeous but has had a lot of little problems.

“It has taken a lot of time to get everything right, but she is in a good place. She has had me tearing my hair out and I’m very lucky that Peter is such a patient owner.

“We could have run when she was only half-ready, but I thought we’d get her fully right and I hope now that Peter’s patience will be fully rewarded.

“She won’t be going away for a holiday, that’s for sure. I don’t think the race has taken a huge amount out of her and of course she will come on from the race.”

TRAINER Mikey O’Connor enjoyed a rewarding success in the Beasley Engineering Hunters Chase with Nice To Meet (11/10 favourite), which had been beaten a short-head on a previous Killarney run.

Ridden by Tiernan Power Roche, the seven-year-old made virtually all in an 11-length defeat of Lanziano.

Afterwards O’Connor said: “I bought him from Harley Dunne and Tiernan (Power Roche) had ridden him in the past. Harley said he was a nice horse and said if we gave him time, he was a good horse. He was 100% on the ball.

“I bided my time last year with him and, the last day at Killarney, he was beaten a short-head by a master trainer and jockey (Willie and Patrick Mullins) with Annamix, who had been rated 148.

“He has a bright future over fences and the only doubt I had was he had been at Doncaster Sales last week when he didn’t make his reserve.

“I’m delighted for his owner Greg Coleman and his parents who are great supporters of mine and great people - win, lose or draw they are always smiling and they’ll enjoy this.”

Upset

Free-going Taylors Three Rock caused a 16/1 upset in the South Of Ireland Waste Management Mares Handicap Hurdle, making all under Mark McDonagh and returning to form on her first run since rejoining trainer Eric McNamara.

Runner-up on her debut at today’s venue in 2020, the Roderic O’Connor-sired mare jumped to her right and was much too keen but nonetheless held on to beat Red Ball Of Fire by a length and a quarter.

McNamara said: “She was second here in a bumper three years ago and we sold her and she went to England where it didn’t work out for her. We got her back for nothing, I have her four months so it was her first run back and I’m over the moon.

“She has ability but is very, very temperamental and we had to walk her around before the start to keep her calm. We went left-handed today as her last good run was here but after watching her today, she’ll definitely go back right-handed next time.”

Off the mark

Three-time flat winner Mister Wilson (16/5) got off the mark on his eighth jumps start, landing the John B. Keane Maiden Hurdle for trainer Gavin Cromwell, jockey Keith Donoghue and owner Darren Cahill.

All of the Alhebayeb gelding’s previous wins were gained on testing flat ground and today he out-battled Suttons Hill on the run-in, despite a final flight error.

Cromwell said: “I’d say the flat track was a big help to him as he needs an easy two miles. I couldn’t see him staying two miles on heavy ground during the winter and they got racing early enough today which wasn’t ideal, but he was due a win.

“His hurdle experience stood to him but he is still learning. He is a keen-going sort but he’s getting there.”