YOU will likely be waiting quite a while before finding a better maiden duel than the one that took place in the two-mile Kettles Country House Hotel Supporting Fingal Ravens GFC Raceday Maiden Hurdle, where Firefox got the better of Ballyburn in a brilliant battle of two top-class prospects.

This contest served as the coming-out party over hurdles for Facile Vega 12 months ago and there are surely Grade 1 aspirations for this year’s one-two, with the even-money winner clearly held in excellent regard by the Gordon Elliott camp.

Bective Stud’s triple bumper winner is an imposing five-year-old with the talent to match, and it was highly impressive that he was able to quicken away from another quality dual bumper scorer in Ballyburn (10/11 favourite) with a most pleasing round of jumping.

Two and a half lengths separated the pair at the death, and it will be fascinating to see if they rematch later in the campaign, when the runner-up could step forward for this seasonal return.

“He looks exciting” said Elliott.

“Jack [Kennedy] said he’s so straightforward. We thought he needed two and a half miles, and that’s why we were making every post a winning post. Jack said he could go two and a half, but he’s got so much boot and is so relaxed that everything is very easy to him.

“We wanted to get today out of the way first before making plans. I just loved the way he jumped.”

Butler in business

So Des Flos got the Cullentra team off to a good start on the card when keeping on best to win the Race And Stay Ladies Handicap Chase under Charlotte Butler for owner David L’Estrange.

The unexposed 9/1 shot battled on gamely to deny the front-running Sweet Will.

Butler, a daughter of Newmarket-based trainer John, said: “He gave me a great spin, jumped the whole way around and probably needs further [than this extended two miles and five furlongs] in time.

“I’ve been going into Gordon’s one day a week and he’s been very good and let me have the ride on him. I’m in a few other pointing yards as well.

“I rode a winner on the track at Southwell and that’s my sixth winner all together, but my first over fences on the track.”

Easy for Jalon

A hat-trick for Elliott was brought up in the concluding Willie Elliott & Summerhill Meath SFC Champions Bumper - a race named after the trainer’s late uncle - when the promising Jalon D’oudairies (11/8 favourite) sluiced up on his stable debut under Harry Swan.

The five-length winner, owned by Gigginstown House Stud, quickened clear of the field on his first start since changing hands for £420,000, having previously registered a ready point-to-point success for Donnchadh Doyle.

Elliott said: “We were keen to win this race. All my aunties and cousins, and plenty from Summerhill, are here today. Peter [Roe, Fairyhouse manager] was very good and gave us a box up in the stand for about 50 or 60 of us.

“This is a nice horse. We were worried there would be no gallop so we let him roll on. He’s only four so we’ll mind him and stay in bumpers this season.”

THE opening Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Beginners Chase (over an extended two miles and five furlongs) has been won by the likes of Foxrock, Martello Tower, The Storyteller, Carefully Selected and Monkfish over the past decade, and the 2023 renewal was another classy renewal that went the way of Corbetts Cross.

J.P. McManus’ Grade 2-winning hurdler showed the benefit of having a run over fences, improving from his third on chasing debut at Naas last month to get the better of useful sorts Three Card Brag, Monty’s Star and Nick Rockett by a winning margin of three quarters of a length.

The Emmet Mullins-trained six-year-old, who last season won from an extended mile and seven furlongs to three miles, was halved in price for both the Turners Novices’ Chase (16/1 to 8/1) and Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (20/1 to 10/1) with Paddy Power.

“I suppose the run under his belt was a big advantage there,” said the winning trainer.

“It’s tough going out there and that was probably the difference in it. Getting a win in these beginners’ chases in Ireland is very difficult and they are all top-class races. I won’t necessarily be that confident the next day once they have a run under their belt.

“It’s great to get today out of the way and we can go on to bigger races hopefully.”

Asked about trip preferences for the 2/1 winner, Mullins added: “I don’t think we’ll change what’s working.”

Whispers speaks up

McManus doubled up in what looked a competitive Close Brothers Rated Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles when Waterford Whispers came from an unpromising position to outstay Answer To Kayf at 4/1.

Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Mark Walsh, the recent Galway maiden hurdle winner showed definite progression from that seasonal return to score by a length and three quarters.

McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry said: “It was hard to weigh him up after Galway. Mark said it was a messy old race but he jumped quite well and picked up well going to the last. He looked in a bit of trouble early in the straight.

“He’s still learning on the job but it was a good performance and he quickened up well at the back of the last. He’s a big lad who will jump a fence in time. You’d imagine he’d be able to get a little further too.”

Belle of the ball

A treble for the green and gold was completed in the Grade 3 WillowWarm Hurdle as Risk Belle struck off bottom weight under a cool Walsh.

Willie Mullins took top honours in this four-year-old-only event with the 7/4 winner, but also had some misfortune when his 11/10 favourite Gust Of Wind came down when leading at the third last, suffering a fatal injury.

Speaking after Risk Belle’s three-and-a-half-length success, Mullins said: “I’m very pleased with that performance - I think she has improved nicely from last season. She jumped well and Mark was very happy that she was going well all the way.”

“IT can only go downhill from here,” quipped jockey Conor Stone-Walsh after he continued a spectacular transition from the flat to jumps by making it two wins from two National Hunt rides in the Listed EasyFix Equine Handicap Chase aboard the Joseph O’Brien-trained Solness.

A talented teenage apprentice on the flat from Co Wexford, the nephew of well-established point-to-point rider and handler Benny Walsh had announced his arrival over jumps when riding a hurdles winner for new boss Gavin Cromwell a week earlier at Cork, and doubled his National Hunt tally here on Bronsan Racing’s 7/1 shot.

It marked a clear career-best from Solness, who remains unexposed over fences an.

Stone-Walsh said: “He jumped well everywhere. He travelled probably a bit too strongly but when I got stuck into him after the last he really battled it out well to the line. He picked up again. It was a good performance.

“I’m very thankful to a lot of people for supporting me to this point, too many to mention. I spent

a lot of time with Joseph so it’s nice to repay him with a winner.”

Nolan on the mark

There was a boilover in the two-and-a-half-mile Redweld Stables Handicap Hurdle when Feet Of A Dancer hosed up under Sean O’Keeffe on her return from a 122-day break at 18/1.

Philip Byrne’s four-year-old filly was making it three wins in the space of four starts and looks a bargain find at just €1,500 as a yearling in Arqana.

Nolan said: “She got no real run at Galway at all last time [when mid-field at the summer festival], and I asked Sean to give her a bit of light today. I was waiting for her to blow up on her first run after a long time but she was good.

“We might give her time between her races and maybe come back for the Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. I liked the way she did that. Sean said nothing had gone as well for him in a handicap like that before. She wasn’t very expensive and hopefully there’s more in her.”