Alonso and Ruby Walsh return to the winners spot, with Willie Mullins there to greet them© Photo Healy Racing
Alonso justified odds-on favouritism as he took the opener at Wexford this afternoon, the Casey Concrete Blocks Maiden Hurdle.
The Spanish bred son of Green Tune was sent off the 4/7 favourite and having settled in sixth, he improved to take closer order before the fifth last.
On the run to the final flight he was challenging his market rival, Aircraftman (11/4), but that fellow crashed out there, leaving Alonso to come home an easy twenty-three length winner.
Unfortunately Aircraftman, for Mouse Morris and Davy Russell, broke a hind leg on the run to the last and he subsequently fell and was put down.
Oscar’s Passion kept on to take second at 22/1 (as big as 66/1 this morning) under Kevin Sexton for Harry Kelly, while Emma Pavlova was a further eleven lengths back in third under Rob Jones for Pat Meany at 20/1.
Willie Mullins said afterwards: “He wants a shorter trip. I just put him over two and a half miles today against horses the same age on what I thought would be better ground.
"We will keep going with him, and drop him back to two miles, although I think he is more a spring horse than a winter horse."
The winner cost €160,000 at Arqana last November, and he won twice on the level previously.
