Willie Mullins made significant inroads into the lead held by Gordon Elliott on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival.
Elliott led Mullins on €4,045,530 to €3,643,125 before racing but soon suffered an early reverse in the Herald Champion Hurdle.
With Supreme hero Labaik reverting to his old ways and refusing to race before eventually setting off in his own time, Melon looked like being the one for Mullins but was kept company for much of the way by Pingshou and in the end was picked off by stablemate Cilaos Emery (8-1).
Cilaos Emery wins the Grade 1 Champion Novice Hurdle at the #PunchestownFestival https://t.co/MXvDBmkZi6 #RTEracing pic.twitter.com/gYwX5W11iD
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) April 25, 2017
The one-two helped move Mullins closer to Elliott in the trainer's title, with the gap reduced to €319,405 euro, but he said: "There is a long way to go and we're not under any illusion. It's a good start and we're delighted."
The pair were not represented in the first race and were out of the main placings in the third, the Killashee Handicap Hurdle, which was won by Pat Fahy's Western Boy (14-1), with the money picked up making no difference to the gap between them.
All eyes were then on one of the Mullins big guns in the shape of Un De Sceaux in the feature BoyleSports Champion Chase, but the odds-on favourite was outgunned by Colin Tizzard and Robbie Power with Aintree hero Fox Norton (5-2 second-favourite).
Fox Norton takes the Boylesports Champion Chase under Robbie Power, Un De Sceaux 2nd https://t.co/MXvDBmkZi6 #RTEracing pic.twitter.com/XQhzCqntV7
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) April 25, 2017
However, with Elliott failing to feature, the best part of €50,000 on offer for second and stablemate Ballycasey earning money for fifth whittled his lead down to €261,905.
Mullins had to settle for another second in the valuable Goffs Land Rover Bumper with Hollowgraphic narrowly denied by the Robert Tyner-trained Vision Des Flos (12-1).
RECAP: PUNCHESTOWN FESTIVAL DAY ONE
It all helped the cause though, and while he was not represented in the Growise Champion Novice Chase won in impressive fashion by Noel Meade's Disko, Elliott was only fourth through A Toi Phil.
There was some gloss on the day for Elliott in the closing bumper, as Lisa O'Neill got 25-1 chance Roaring Bull home, but it was far from the most valuable event of the week at just under €10,000 to the winner and at the close of play Mullins stood €259,655 adrift, from €402,405 at the beginning of the meeting.
