PAUL Townend described it as a case of job done for Allaho, who made his first start in 561 days a winning one in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase - seeing off just two rivals in a race that never really threatened to turn into a serious test.

Officially the highest-rated chaser in training away from stablemate Galopin Des Champs, Cheveley Park Stud’s dual Ryanair Chase hero had been absent since winning the 2022 Punchestown Gold Cup due to an unusual bleed on his spleen.

Paul Townend kept it simple against Janidil, also trained by Willie Mullins, and rank outsider Grange Walk, keeping up the gallop in front to score by nine lengths.

It was more an advertisement of Allaho’s wellbeing, as opposed to learning anything new about his ability, and the performance saw him trimmed to 4/1 (from 6/1) for next year’s Ryanair with Ladbrokes.

Mullins, who was racing at Flemington earlier in the week for his two-pronged attack on the Melbourne Cup, wasn’t at the track to discuss plans for the 1/4 winner but Townend is excited to team up with him again this winter.

“I suppose he was a bit rusty early on,” said the champion jockey.

“He had a look at the first couple of fences but I wasn’t going revving him up that early after being off for so long. It was straightforward and it was job done back on the track. He didn’t get any smaller anyway!

“He’s a big horse to try to organise and you kind of just let him do his thing. He’s massive. He just covers so much ground; you think you’re lobbing along but he puts horses under pressure. He’s just a big animal and it’s brilliant to get him back.

“The engine looks to be still there. Willie can make a plan for him now after this. It’s hard work out there and every horse is finishing tired today, and he was entitled to given he was off the track so long. He did take a blow.”

Allegorie up and running

As in the feature event, Mullins supplied the one-two with his pair of runners in the Listed T.A. Morris Memorial Irish EBF Mares Chase, as Cheltenham Festival runner-up Allegorie De Vassy kept on well under Townend to beat Instit by two and a quarter lengths.

Sent off the well-backed 8/11 favourite, Susannah Ricci’s six-year-old was ridden more conservatively than the front-running second and came through under a well-timed challenge to bounce back from disappointing defeats at Punchestown and Fairyhouse last spring.

Townend said: “She ended last season poorly and couldn’t have started better this season. There’s plenty to work on, and I thought Willie’s two mares ran well. They will come on for it.

“On the whole, she’s a very good jumper. She was beaten by a very good mare at Cheltenham [Impervious] and that probably left a mark for the rest of the season. She’s back now and we’re delighted with her.” Allegorie De Vassy is 7/2 favourite for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase.

GORDON Elliott warmed up for a big two days at Down Royal with a treble across the opening three races, wrapped up with a promising success from Rainbow Trail in the Watch Racing TV Free For 31 Days INH Flat Race.

A £220,000 purchase after finishing second to Mint Boy on his sole run in a point-to-point for Donnchadh Doyle last December, the Gigginstown House Stud-owned five-year-old battled gutsily under Josh Williamson to make a winning rules bow at 4/1.

“He did it really well,” said the winning rider. “The ground took a bit of getting and he actually never really travelled for me.

“When I gave him a squeeze before the two-furlong pole, though, he took off. That was very impressive in that ground. He is a nice horse going forward.”

The middle leg of the hat-trick came through a strong staying performance from Stuzzikini (9/2), ridden by Jack Kennedy, in the €21,000 Clonmel Oil Service Station Handicap Hurdle.

The arrival of a heavy shower as the runners headed to post made already heavy conditions even more testing for the three-mile event, but the consistent five-year-old showed a fine attitude to cope with the ground for owners VCS Versatile Coating Specialist Ltd and Francis Foran.

A fall at the final flight for Missiee extended the margin of victory to 31 lengths.

Kennedy said: “I was always happy. I got there plenty soon on him as he can pull up in front but there was nothing to bring me along any further. I thought he loved that ground.”

Farren impresses

There was a smart display in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle over an extended two miles and three furlongs from the Niall Earls-owned Farren Glory, who wasn’t for catching on the front end as the 13/8 joint-favourite.

It was a generally impressive jumping display from the Navan bumper winner, drawing nine and a half lengths clear of fellow joint-favourite Irish Panther, trained by Edward O’Grady.

“He jumped a bit big at a couple but I’m very happy with him overall,” said Kennedy. “He’s a lovely horse and I was impressed with him.”

EDWARD O’Grady’s fortunes changed in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle when Any Road delivered a likeable performance to gain a deserved first success at the seventh attempt.

There was drama down the back on the final circuit when 1/2 favourite Theatre Native dropped away from the lead quickly as though something was amiss, and it was left to Any Road and Purse Price to fight it out at the business end.

The mount of winning rider Mark McDonogh, sent off 4/1, looked to be holding the upper hand when Purse Price unseated at the final flight.

O’Grady, whose own colours were carried to victory, said: “It was a lot longer coming than I expected and I really hoped he’d win his bumper. I didn’t expect him to run quite as well as that today because he was just ready for a run, but I was quite impressed. He jumped like a bird, and I think he had Purse Price beaten when she fell. It would be lovely if this horse could step up.”

Evies defies layoff

The Prior Park Service Station Clonmel Handicap Chase over an extended two and a half miles was one of the more minor events on the card but its result generated one of the most colourful scenes in the winner’s enclosure for the whole day, following the win of Evies Vladimir (15/2).

Carrying the colours of Munster Van Centre and Gavin Cromwell Racing Limited, the 88-rated handicap debutant had been beaten wide margins and brought down in his only previous starts over fences in 2022.

However, it was a cracking training performance from Cromwell to have the six-year-old win this handicap on his first start for 517 days, prevailing by a neck in a cracking finish with Kings Halo.

Winning rider Keith Donoghue said: “It was a good performance. Going to the last, I thought I would win easy enough and let him pop it but he lost all momentum. Thankfully he got going again. He handles that ground and in that grade, so hopefully he can do it again. The lads are delighted, which is brilliant.”