Stilyker and Paul Townend sail over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Stilyker may have only won the Comeragh Wildlife Park Handicap Hurdle by a neck, but it was comfortable neck on what was his debut for Willie Mullins.
Previously trained by John 'Shark' Hanlon and a solid fourth on his handicap debut at Navan in June of last year, the Dylan Thomas gelding was widely-expected to make the breakthrough this afternoon, going off the clear 4/9 favourite (from 4/5 in early shows) in the colours of Graiglore Limited.
Soon in a share of the lead on the outer, the six-year-old race keen early and improved into an outright lead before the fourth last flight.
Still travelling strongly away from the last, he was pushed out in the closing stages to see off the late surge of He’s Leading Me On.
The runner-up was returned at 9/1 under Conor McNamara for Leslie Young, while the Danny Mullins ridden Moonlit Sea (50/1) was another two-and-three-parts of a length back in third.
"I didn't know a whole lot about him to tell you the truth, I definitely wasn't expecting him to be as keen as he was," Townend revealed.
"He done well to keep going after being so keen. He is a big horse for around here as well. He will be a nice fun horse.
"He has a big stride on him so maybe we were doing it wrong by trying to take a lead on him. The gang who came with him today were happy enough with him."
Mullins later added: "I was happy with him and he did it nicely. We will try and just go up the grades with him. Hopefully he will get into a 0 to 102 now."
