Banjo and Conor McNamara© Photo Healy Racing
Conor McNamara got a sweet tune out of Banjo who took Tramore's two mile maiden hurdle in good style.
The pair tracked front-running Bonarc throughout and then unleashed their challenge to head that rival at the second last.
The nine-year-old gelding, in first-time cheekpieces, asserted before the final flight and came home a convincing victor by seven lengths at 12/1. Dave And Bernie (14/1) looked a danger after the penultimate hurdle but his effort petered out in second. Samba Dancer was a further two and three quarter lengths back in third at 4/1.
Trainer Denis Cullen said: "He lost his confidence a bit last year. He had a cracking good run in a novice chase at Roscommon when he was third and that seemed to upset him a little bit, he lost his way jumping.
"The run on the flat recently wasn't a bad run over a mile and one which is way too short for him, but he still gave a good account of himself.
"Conor gave him a great ride and the lads at home are doing a great job. We'll see now and we won't get too excited as he was a nine-year-old maiden up until today.
"There is not much mileage on the clock and he had always shown us that he was capable of doing that. It worked out for him today.
"The cheekpieces were put on just to make him concentrate. They were no load to carry and they weren't an inconvenience. It's not that he is ungenuine - I was just a little bit concerned about his jumping and I wanted him to concentrate. Between the cheekpieces and the ride Conor gave him it worked out well."
Additional reporting by Donal Murphy
