Quilixios claimed the notable scalp of Marine Nationale in the Barberstown Castle Chase at Naas.
Dual Grade One-winning hurdler Marine Nationale – so brilliant in landing the 2023 Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham – was the 8-11 favourite on his first start since disappointing in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown in February.
Quilixios is also a Cheltenham Festival winner, though, having landed the Triumph Hurdle four years ago, and had the majority of his rivals on the stretch from before the home turn in the Grade Three feature under a positive ride from Darragh O’Keeffe.
Marine Nationale did his best to keep tabs on the leader in the straight, but it was clear between the final two fences he was struggling to bridge the gap and in the end Henry de Bromhead’s Quilixios (7-2) passed the post with seven and a half lengths in hand.
"That was great, I’m delighted with that. He jumped brilliant and I thought Darragh was brilliant on him," said De Bromhead.
"It’s lovely to see him back to form again, he’s got a lot of class. He was very good here back in January and it’s nice to get him back.
"He loves jumping and Darragh said at the first one down the back he couldn’t see anything so he just squeezed up and he took off, he winged it. I love that with those two-milers, it’s always good to watch."
Paddy Power cut Quilixios to 50-1 from 100-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase and eased Marine Nationale to 16-1 from 9-1 for the same race.
On future plans for his charge, De Bromhead added: "We said we’d come here and just see where we were and obviously we’ll look at all those better races now. We’ll get him home and see.
"I think he goes on any ground, he won on very testing ground here in January. I worried that the ground might just be a bit too good for him, but he seemed to love it.
"There is the Tingle Creek or the race at Leopardstown over Christmas."
The Busy Fool continued his progression with victory in the Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle.
The Thurles bumper winner was placed in his first three starts over obstacles before opening his account on his handicap debut at Tipperary in the spring.
Making his first appearance since that April success, The Busy Fool was sent off at 11-2 for this €45,000 contest, with 7lb claimer Tiernan Power Roche in the saddle for trainer Philip Rothwell.
There were plenty still in with a chance jumping the final flight, but The Busy Fool refused to yield in front and passed the post with three-quarters of a length in hand over Park Of Kings, with 100-30 favourite Sir Allen only a length further behind in third.
"He's a lovely big horse. They are a great crowd of guys to train for and they’ve been hugely lucky, we’ve had a lot of winners," said Rothwell. "They’ve been very patient with this horse, he was a big weak horse. You can see he’s a big, backward fella.
"I didn’t want to go over fences until next season so we said we’d keep him for a few hurdle races this year. He won in Tipperary last season over two miles and I felt the step up to two and a half would suit. Obviously Tiernan’s claim got rid of his winner’s penalty.
"The form of the race in Tipperary worked out well, the horse that was second to him was second in Punchestown at the festival."
Rothwell was particularly pleased with the performance of his jockey, adding: "I think Tiernan will be very important to me this year for some of those handicaps. It was great to have him on board and great that he rode a good winner.
"He got a very easy lead, he came up the home straight the first time with his ears pricked going a nice, steady gallop.
"I was going to look at the two-mile handicap in Fairyhouse, but we’d want a lot of rain for that. We’ll creep away. He can come back a bit in trip with an ease in the ground."
Grade One-winning hurdler Farren Glory is set for an immediate return to the highest level after opening his account over fences.
Victorious in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse last season, Gordon Elliott's charge may well have doubled his Grade One tally but for suffering a heavy fall two flights from home in the inaugural running of the Formby Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day.
He was well beaten on what proved to be his final start of the campaign at the Dublin Racing Festival in February and was no match for the impressive Inthepocket on his chasing bow at Wexford last month, but he made no mistake at the second time of asking.
Ridden by Jack Kennedy in the Mongey Communications Beginners Chase, Ho My Lord briefly threatened to make a real race of it halfway up the home straight, but the further Farren Glory (4-6 favourite) went the better he looked and he was seven and a half lengths clear at the line.
"Jack said his best was from the last to the line," said Elliott.
"He didn’t get pulled up until down below and it’s job done. We probably would have preferred a bit more competition.
"They didn’t go quick and he was looking around him. He said it was actually slippy and he slipped a bit and then was a bit careful.
"I’d imagine, with horses not getting out, he’ll head straight to the Drinmore now.
"In fairness he was better on that ground, Wexford was horrible ground."
Willie Mullins is confident there is more to come from Spasiba after opening his account over obstacles in the Cavan Developments Home Builders Supporting St Marys GAA Maiden Hurdle at Naas.
Runner-up on his hurdling bow at Limerick last Christmas, the five-year-old had since plied his trade in competitive handicaps on the Flat, most recently finishing ninth in the Irish Cesarewitch.
He was a 1-2 favourite reverting to jumping and made every yard of the running on his way to a two-and-a-quarter-length success under Paul Townend.
"It probably worked out workmanlike for his price, he was very short," said Mullins.
"I'll have to look at another half-mile for him and maybe going right-handed. He seemed to be leaning to the right, so a novice hurdle right-handed would be the obvious thing to do.
"It’s a big, open straight here in Naas, but he got the job done and that’s the important thing."
LIEUTENANT MAYNE justifies favouritism in the I.N.H Stallion Owners @IrishEBF_ Maiden under Ben Harvey for trainer John McConnell 🥇 pic.twitter.com/kimdbZ6vau
— Naas Racecourse (@NaasRacecourse) November 10, 2024
Lieutenant Mayne landed cramped odds with the minimum of fuss in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle.
John McConnell’s charge as a prohibitively-priced 1-4 shot after a couple of his major rivals were taken out and barely came off the bridle in winning by 16 lengths in the hands of Ben Harvey.
"I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when the more fancied ones came out! We fancied him anyway, the form of the Fairyhouse bumper he finished sixth in is very good. I shouldn’t have run him and he’s better than that run," said McConnell.
"We knew he was a nice horse and anything he was doing in bumpers was going to be a bonus.
"He jumps super. We don’t know where we’re going to end up with him, but he’s certainly a nice horse for the future.
"We’ll go baby steps with him and try to find a novice hurdle, maybe across the water, and then step him up in grade."
Gavin Cromwell's Pinot Gris (2-1) cruised to victory in the Fishery Lane Novice Hurdle, pulling three lengths clear under a confident ride from Keith Donoghue.
Cromwell said: "That was grand, the blinkers worked a treat. He’s a lazy, idle type of a horse and they just made him concentrate.
"If you look back to the Lartigue, he had a wander around up the straight and it’s a pity we didn’t have them on him then.
"We’ll maybe look for a handicap somewhere and he’s big enough to jump a fence in time."
