BRILLIANT triple Grade 1 winner Ballyburn looked a natural on his first start over fences at the Punchestown Premiere Weekend, making all on his way to a 13-length success over stablemate Ocastle Des Mottes.

There was lots to like about how the Cheltenham Festival-winning six-year-old adapted to the larger obstacles, well able to size up his fences nimbly while also being bolder at the second last.

Paul Townend never had to get serious with Ronnie Bartlett and David Manasseh’s top-class operator, who was following in the footsteps of last year’s Arkle winner Gaelic Warrior by winning this two-mile-three-furlong beginners’ chase.

Heading into the Conway Piling-backed contest, Ballyburn was priced between 7/4 and 9/4 for the Arkle. He was tightened up to 6/4 and no bigger than 2/1 in the aftermath of his successful chasing bow.

A pleased and relieved Willie Mullins said: "He did things very well and took a good blow during the race, which means there is a lot of improvement to come. A lot of ours are running that way, so it was a worry going out.

"He jumped from fence to fence and I was very pleased. I think Paul was very pleased as well. He has a lovely low head carriage and usually horses with a head carriage like that are very good jumpers."

When asked if Christmas would look a natural next step for Ballyburn, Mullins said: "There's no race for him at Christmas [at Leopardstown]. He won't be going to Limerick, he won't be going to Leopardstown. He'll go somewhere else.”

Asked about the newly-upgraded two-mile Grade 2 novice chase at Naas on January 5th, he added: “We might do that or go to England. We'll have a look now. We haven't been looking past today.

“One nice race is gone [the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown] so that's disappointing but we'll be finding somewhere else to go."

Previous five winners of the Conway Piling Beginners Chase

2023 Gaelic Warrior

2022 Kilcruit

2021 French Dynamite

2020 Asterion Forlonge

2019 Faugheen