Appreciate It (green and blue) and Paul Townend jump the last in second before going on to win by nine lengths© Photo Healy Racing
Appreciate It (7/4 fav) was another impressive winner on the card as he took the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) by nine lengths.
The Jeremy gelding, runner-up in last season’s Cheltenham bumper and a winner on hurdles debut at Cork in November, tracked the pace-setting Fire Attack before hitting the front after jumping the last (usual second-last).
He opened up in the straight as his main market rival Ballyadam could find no more and it was Irascible (16/1) who came through for second ahead of Keskonrisk (16/1) in third.
Winning trainer Willie Mullins who, along with jockey Paul Townend was completing a Grade 1 double after Chacun Pour Soi rsquo;s earlier success, said: “He surprised me and impressed me. I was wondering if he was a two and a half miles horse or a two-mile horse. I know he can easily do it over two and a half but to come back to two miles and put in a performance like that in a Grade 1 was impressive.
“I’d say we will go down the two miles route now. He’s not flashy like Ferny Hollow but he has a great cruising speed and he covers a lot of ground which helps him to burn other horses off.
“He’ll probably have another run here at the Dublin Racing Festival.”
The winner was cut to 11/4 favourite (from 14/1) by Paddy Power and Betfair for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and was pushed out to 8/1 (from 6/1) with the same firms for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
