THE total prize fund for the featured McHale Mayo National Handicap Chase had increased by €20,000 since Tullybeg’s win for Gordon Elliott in the previous year’s renewal and the Cullentra handler scooped the lion’s share of the €100,000 on offer when saddling four of the first five home.

Runner-up in five of his six starts over fences coming into the race, Duffle Coat put it all together on this occasion to run out a decisive winner at odds of 14/1.

The Ray Stokes-owned grey raced close to the pace and led after two out to beat stablemate Salvador Ziggy by eight lengths with Frontal Assault completing a 1-2-3 for Elliott.

“I’m delighted for the horse,” said winning rider Sam Ewing. “He’s finished second a lot lately so it’s great for him to win a big pot.

“I’ve been reeled in on him before when I’ve sent him for home, so I waited as long as I could and the better ground helped him to see it out well this time.

“He’s versatile between hurdles and fences, and can even go back on the flat as well, so hopefully there’s a good summer campaign ahead of him.”

Duffle Coat is by Alhebayeb, who stands at Patrick McCarthy’s Meelin Stud in Bandon, Co Cork.

Double up

Elliott and Ewing had struck earlier in the McHale Pro Glide Hurdle when 6/4 favourite Beacon Edge made all to beat three rivals.

Strongly pressed on the run-in by No Looking Back, Gigginstown House Stud’s 10-year-old found a bit more to see off that rival by half a length.

Ewing reported: “Ideally I would have liked a lead but he’s proven over so many distances and I didn’t want to over-complicate it so I said I’d let him roll away and enjoy himself. He picked up again when he was challenged.”

MICHAEL O’Sullivan was another jockey to ride a double on the evening and struck first on the 7/4 favourite Churchroad Prince in the McHale Fusion 4 Range Maiden Hurdle.

Trained by Jonathan Sweeney for Thomas Hegarty, the Mahler gelding travelled well close to the pace and took over at the last to defeat Talk In The Park by two and a quarter lengths.

O’Sullivan said: “He’s still a bit green and missed the third last but was good over the second last and the last when I needed him and won quite snugly.

“This was a big step forward mentally from his first run over hurdles and he’s going to come forward again. He’s a lovely big chaser in the making.”

O’Sullivan completed his brace on The Echo Boy (18/1) in the McHale F5000 Range Veterans Handicap Chase.

Mrs Fidelma Toole’s 11-year-old hadn’t been seen since July but defied that absence, prominent throughout before leading at the last to beat market leader Whatsafellatodo by three lengths.

Dermot McLoughlin said: “He loves that fast ground and Michael said he’s a great horse to jump and measures his fences well.These veterans’ races are a great idea for horses like him who’ve missed a year with injury, it’s great to have them.”

Extrapolation (3/1) proved his versatility when adding the McHale Tiger Roll Beginners Chase to his collection of victories.

Prior to this, Michael and Joan Toomey’s grey had landed a point-to-point, a bumper, a maiden hurdle and a handicap hurdle.

Danny Mullins guided him into the lead two out and Extrapolation stretched away on the run-in to defeat market leader Mighty Tom by seven and a half lengths.

Winning trainer Richard O’Brien said: “He loves good ground like that and it’s terrific to get the win.

“Danny has been lucky for me and he was very impressed with how he jumped today. He jumps so well that he doesn’t have to stay in novice company.

“There’s a handicap chase at Killarney in July that I won a few years ago with horse called Azzuri, and we could possibly target this fellow at that”

BOHOLA native Bill Durkan had been amongst the winners at the previous Ballinrobe fixture earlier in the month and was again present to see his colours pass the post in front as Baltic Bird (10/1) landed the McHale Mayo Handicap Hurdle.

Oakley Brown produced the Frankel gelding to lead on the run-in and the five-year-old had a length and three-quarters to spare over Western Walk.

Assistant trainer Gary Bannon said: “We’re having a good run and it’s great to get winners here for Bill. We ran this horse in Punchestown where he met a little bit of trouble in around him. Oakley thought he stayed on really well that day and we knew he’d improve for the run because we’d given him a break before that. We said we’d target here if the ground was right and it all worked out.”

Paddy Twomey took on Willie Mullins in the McHale Orbital Flat Race and their runners were almost upsides on the approach to the straight but, with the rail to help, it was the Mullins-trained Kalix Delabarriere (4/5 favourite) who powered clear in the final furlong to thwart Twomey’s Seo Linn by two and three-quarter lengths.

Winning rider Patrick Mullins said of the Slaneyville Syndicate’s four-year-old: “He was doing everything right at home. He’s by a great stallion in Galiway and has a lovely pedigree.

“We didn’t get him to Punchestown for the Land Rover (Bumper) but we were more than happy to come to Ballinrobe. Mystical Power won this race last year and we’re not afraid to bring a good horse up here. We might let him off, he’s been in training all winter so might just benefit from a break. He’s a horse with a big future.”