Fast Buck in winning form© Photo Healy Racing
Fast Buck belied a walk in the market to successfully make all in the Listed Colm Quinn BMW Novice Hurdle at Galway.
From 10/11 in the morning he went right out to 2/1 as support came for all four of his rivals, but particularly Turnpike Trip who went off 9/4 from an opening show of 4/1.
Fast Buck was at the head of a bunched field coming to the second last and a nimble jump on the inside saw him get away from it swiftly.
That gave him daylight as he powered up off the home bend with the opposition all off the bridle in behind.
Turnpike Trip attempted to reel him in over the last but Fast Buck still had plenty in the tank along the run-in as he was driven out to score by a length and a quarter.
Paul Townend said: "You don't want to set sail too much, you need to hold onto a little bit if something is coming at you as it is a long way up there and there's a good crowd here as well and he was having a look at them.
"We got into a nice rhythm in front and he did it nicely. He is getting his act together now and is a big scopey horse who will jump a fence in time.
"He stays well and I was afraid to let it turn into a sprint and had a good rhythm in front and was able to use his jumping.
"He ran into a nice horse in Cork on his first run (Fakir D'oudairies) and disappointed us on his second run (in Naas) but he did it well in Listowel and he seems to be building on that all the time."
Willie Mullins has now won four of the last five renewals of this race.
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
