Ferny Hollow made a triumphant return from over two years on the sidelines with a dominant display in the Newlands Chase at Naas - but appears unlikely to be seen in action at next month's Cheltenham Festival.
It is fast approaching four years since the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old carried the Cheveley Park Stud colours to success in the Champion Bumper at the showpiece meeting in the Cotswolds and injuries had restricted him to just three subsequent appearances.
He made a winning hurdling debut at Gowran Park the following season, but was then off the track for over a year, and while he made a smooth transition to jumping fences following his comeback with successive wins, including a Grade One at Leopardstown in December 2021, he had not been seen since.
Despite his 791-day absence, Ferny Hollow was a 2-5 favourite for this Grade Three assignment, and in truth odds-on backers will have had few concerns for the duration of the two-mile contest.
Paul Townend's mount raced exuberantly and jumped neatly in the main and moved ominously into the wing mirrors of the three horses in front of him from the home turn.
Once angled out into clear daylight, the Westerner gelding soon swept to the lead and only had to be pushed out after safely negotiating the final obstacle to seal a comfortable five-and-a-half-length verdict.
Mullins said: "I was happy with him to do that after such a long lay-off. Hopefully, now he stays sound so that we can keep him that way.
"He popped over a few hurdles and a few fences yesterday morning and I was happy with him. The conditions of this race suited him a bit better than last week (Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park).
"I think he's still young enough to put in a career best over fences. He just has to overcome this first run and come back sound and we'll see where we go."
Bookmakers cut Ferny Hollow to 8-1 from 12-1 in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, but with that race only 17 days away, Mullins is set to keep his powder dry for the other major festivals in the spring.
"He's entered in Cheltenham. It may be a big ask on his second run, but we'll have a look. It may come a bit soon," he added.
"He settled lovely and even though he's free going, once you settle him in, he listens and responds to you. We were happy to use those tactics and hoped that if he got around safe and sound that he'd be the fastest horse in the straight, which he was.
"It will be all about how he comes out of the race in the next week, and we'll probably look for easier options for the time being."
Barry Connell issued a positive update on Arkle favourite Marine Nationale after scoring with another potential star in William Munny.
A field of five previous winners went to post for the Download The BetVictor App (Pro/Am) Flat Race, which features top-class performers like Killultagh Vic (2014), Carefully Selected (2018) and Gerri Colombe (2021) on its roll of honour.
Wingmen was an even-money favourite to provide the latter's trainer Gordon Elliott with a fifth successive victory in the two-mile contest, but after racing keenly on the front end, he weakened late on and had to make do with minor honours in third.
William Munny, a short-head winner on his racecourse debut at Navan last month, was a 13-2 shot to double his tally in the hands of Finny Maguire and showed a sharp change of gear to run down both Wingmen and eventual runner-up Fleur In The Park to score by an impressive five lengths.
Connell said: "I'm astonished the price this horse went off. I thought he should have been even-money favourite on the back of his form.
"The horse of Willie Mullins' that he beat the last day (C'est Ta Chance) was backed as if money was going out of fashion and they were clear of the rest.
"He's hardly having a blow there and it was like a piece of work."
While Connell has no doubt William Munny has what it takes to make it to the top, he will resist the temptation to run in next month's Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, but could go for the corresponding race at the Punchestown Festival later in the spring.
"He's very unusual for a Westerner, as they normally don't win bumpers, they improve when they get a hurdle and a fence," he said.
"I'm definitely not taking him to Cheltenham. I don't like giving them more than two runs in winner's bumpers but I'm going to bring this lad to Punchestown for the Champion Bumper there, and I think he's the one to beat in it.
"In my view, he's the best bumper horse in the country and I'm hoping he'll be a Grade One horse over a hurdle next year."
One Connell inmate who most definitely has a trip to Cheltenham on his agenda is stable star Marine Nationale, winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the showpiece meeting last season.
Following a foot-perfect chasing debut at Leopardstown over Christmas, he blotted his copybook for the first time with a disappointing showing in the Irish Arkle at the same track earlier this month, but his trainer is keeping the faith ahead of his return to the Cotswolds.
Connell added: "Marine Nationale was in Fairyhouse yesterday. We brought the two Cheltenham horses, him and Enniskerry. Enniskerry runs in the Grand Annual.
"We brought the two of them for an away day. They didn't do a whole pile, just jumped the four fences up to Ballyhack and they are all set now the two of them.
"All we need now is a bit of spring ground, and nine times out of 10 we get it in Cheltenham."
Connections of Noble Birth also harbour Cheltenham Festival dreams following his 16-1 triumph in the Pertemps Network Group Handicap Hurdle.
Conor McNamara, representing his father Eric, said: "Things just didn't quite go to plan in Musselburgh the last day, but it was lovely that he came right today.
"He ran a blinder at Cheltenham back in November and was just too keen. It was my fault to put the cheek pieces on him, but we left them off him today and he relaxed lovely.
"He was a few pounds out of the handicap today. If he gets into the Pertemps (Final) at Cheltenham, he'll go - and if he doesn't, we might look at Mallow (Cork) in a month's time and see if we can get him qualified for the Final of the Full Circle Series in Punchestown."
Father and son Conor and Charlie O'Dwyer teamed up to win the Listed Nas Na Riogh Novice Handicap Chase with the JP McManus-owned Battle It Out (6-1).
"The conditions suited him. He wants soft ground and a bit of a trip. He jumped unbelievable," said O'Dwyer senior.
"We'll see what Frank (Berry, racing manager) and JP want to do and be led by them."
Willie Mullins unleashed yet another promising recruit in the Naas Racecourse Business Club Maiden Hurdle, with French import Tounsivator (7-2) winning with a little more in hand than the official margin of a length and a quarter might suggest in the hands of Paul Townend.
The champion trainer's son and assistant, Patrick Mullins, said: "Paul said he was a bit keen, but being an ex-Flat horse, you'd expect that. His jumping was good bar he stood on himself after the last. To recover and win after losing all momentum was impressive.
"I'm sure he'll go for novice hurdles at Fairyhouse and Punchestown."
Bottler'secret may have earned himself a late call-up to Gavin Cromwell's Cheltenham Festival squad after making a successful debut over obstacles in the Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle.
Winner of two of his three starts on the Flat for Ciaran Murphy, the four-year-old was thrown straight into Grade Three company for his hurdling bow, albeit the race was rendered significantly less competitive after the unbeaten five-time winner Wodhooh was declared a non-runner.
In her absence, Bottler'secret was a 6-5 favourite to get the better of three rivals in the hands of Sean Flanagan and travelled sweetly for much of the way.
After being nudged into the slipstream of Wodhooh's front-running stablemate Pacini early in the home straight, the Dragon Pulse gelding came back on the bridle on the run to the final flight before pulling 11 lengths clear on the run-in.
Bookmakers cut Bottler'secret to 12-1 from 20-1 for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and while Cromwell admits pitching his inexperienced youngster in against this season's top juveniles would be a big ask, he will consider letting him take his chance.
"He's a nice horse. It might not have been the greatest renewal of a Grade Three but for his first day he jumped well. He was a little bit big and slow early on but the further he went, the better he got," said Cromwell.
"It would have been nice if we'd got more experience into him. I thought we're getting on in the year and we'd pitch him in at the deep end. If he didn't win, he'd be a novice next year.
"He's in the Triumph Hurdle, but I don't know if he'll go there. If he had a bit more experience he would, but it is what it is at this stage - I wouldn't rule it out.
"There are plenty of options at Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown."
