Spanish Harlem made most of the running under Danny Mullins to register a decisive success in the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel.
Trained by Willie Mullins, he appeared the champion trainer's second string with Paul Townend on You Oughta Know but he fell early on the final circuit at the same fence as top weight Pied Piper.
Danny Mullins never missed a beat on the winner, who was hassled throughout for the lead with Joseph O’Brien’s San Salvador still appearing to be full of running when he exited at the third-last obstacle.
Spanish Harlem asserted his authority at that point and while the veteran French Dynamite and Gordon Elliott’s Three Card Brag tracked him into the straight, they could not land a blow.
The 16-1 winner was able to come home four and a half lengths in front of Three Card Brag with a further seven lengths back to French Dynamite, who was having his first run for new connections.
"We pushed the boat out and bought this fellow in France a few years ago and it’s taken a while for him to come to fruition. I’m hoping now that he might go the whole way and run in the Grand National," said Willie Mullins.
"Dr Peter Fitzgerald (owner) is Randox who sponsor the Grand National. We have a couple of races to go before that – something like the Munster National or the Coral Gold Cup in Newbury.
"He seems to like nice ground, lots of jumping and three miles plus.
"To win these races you need lots of experience and he has lots of experience.
"He made one or two mistakes and when he can iron out those, he could be a player on the bigger stage.
"Danny wanted to give him plenty of daylight. He’s a horse that doesn’t like being crowded and it worked."
