Mr Hollywood stars in the opener

Strong in the market before the off, the 2/1 favourite Mr Hollywood took the opening maiden hurdle over two and three-quarter miles on Plate day at Galway.

The seven-year-old, ridden by Brian Hayes, jumped the last in third and and was driven to the front in the final 50 yards to beat Jeroboam Machin by half a length, with the winner's stablemate Al Arrivee another two and a half lengths back in third after making the running.

Mr Hollywood was a classy horse on the Flat in Germany and France in his younger days, and was third in last month's Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Prior to that, he had finished in the same position on stable and hurdling debut at Killarney.

“I was hoping it might be the other way around! Emmet’s horse (Jeroboam Machin) ran very well and then my wife’s filly (Al Arrivee) ran a cracker as well, she was a little free up the front,” said winning trainer Willie Mullins.

“I think the winner is improving, his jumping will improve, so he’ll improve over hurdles.

“Probably a trip to York for the Ebor might be next on the agenda.

“That jumping will just put him in a nicer frame of mind, I think.

“Looking at the way he finished there, and in Ascot, I think he deserves a crack at a big prize over in York.”

Hayes added "His run at Killarney wasn't foot perfect, he was learning about jumping, but we were delighted with him after Ascot and it's great that he could come here and win at Galway.

"He landed on all-fours at one or two today, but turning in, I really felt I was going to go and win my race. He still had to battle, but he did that too.

"You'd be hoping he'd be very competitive in all those staying novice hurdles for the rest of the season. I think he's going to learn how to settle more and race better, and jump better."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson