Twinlight and Ruby Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
< Twinlight proved strongest on the long run-in at Galway to take the feature Faber Audiovisuals Ballybrit Novice Chase for the Willie Mullins team.
Only five went to post for the Grade Three contest, but they looked a promising bunch and Ruby Walsh took them along on the eventual winner, who landed a Listowel beginners chase impressively last month.
The 15-8 favourite wasn't foot-perfect and he was marginally headed by Argocat at the final fence, but he was soon back on terms and went clear to score by two lengths, with the others well behind.
The rest of the card was dominated by Davy Russell, who landed a treble, two of them in the Gigginstown House Stud colours, including on Shrapnel (9-2) in the CCTV Venue Control Maiden Hurdle.
The gelding hadn't won in nine previous efforts over jumps, but was well worth the victory on his first start for Gordon Elliott as he collared favourite Rory O'Moore two out and forged three and three-quarter lengths clear.< Rogue Angel was sent off the 1-6 favourite for the Corrib Oil Maiden Hurdle and gave supporters no cause for alarm, Mouse Morris's four-year-old asserting between the last two flights to win by seven and a half lengths.
Russell completed his treble when he led all the way on the Arthur Moore-trained Lastoftheleaders in the SanServ Handicap Hurdle, keeping the 7-2 shot up to his work to hold Delphi Mountain by two and a quarter lengths.
Brian Cawley kept Martin Cullinane's outsider Free To Dream (14-1) on the heels of joint-favourites Whats Happening and Skibabe over the final two flights in the Barna Waste Novice Hurdle and the five-year-old produced the goods on the run-in, storming past to win by three lengths.< Yeoman had plenty to do jumping the last in sixth place in the Renvyle House Hotel Handicap Chase, but leader Venture Lazarus lost all momentum with a bad error and Adrian Heskin got the 12-1 chance going to score by two lengths.
