Bring On The Night and Paul Townend lead over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Bring On the Night got his jumping career off to winning start when landing the odds in division two of the Festival Trials Day Maiden Hurdle at Naas and could yet be part of Willie Mullins' powerful team at Cheltenham in just over a fortnight.
The Gleneagles gelding won twice on the Flat for Andre Fabre but was having his first run for current connections and was reappearing after a near two years absence.
Paul Townend, sporting the familiar colours of Joe and Marie Donnelly, sent the 5/6 shot to the front between the final two flights and he quickened clear on the run-in to beat Snake Oil by eight lengths. Smooth Scotch was a further two-and-a-quarter lengths away in third.
Mullins said, "I have him a long time and he had a setback last year and we never got him on to the track. He is in the Supreme Novice and could easily go there.
"We said if he was going to make it, he had to go today and be good enough. We think he'll improve a fair bit from that.
"He has to brush up on his jumping a bit but I think he will as he jumps better at home. He is a 90 plus rated horse on the flat but Paul said he knew well how to jump - he said he knew his job once he got him down to gallop.
"Marie and Joe (Donnelly) have State Man in the Supreme as well, maybe we'll run the two or find another option for State Man as this horse has no other options.
"We think he is a good sort and will make a great dual purpose horse. We could appear back on the flat with him during the summer."
Paddy Power and Betfair both cut Bring On The Night into 20/1 (from 33/1) for the Supreme.
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