Trainer John Nallen got an instant return on recent purchase Is That Love with the gelding running out a comfortable winner of the opening Manguard Plus Claiming Race at Leopardstown.

Bought out of a Killarney Claimer last month, the six-year-old was making his first appearance for the Tipperary based trainer, having previously raced for James McAuley.

Prominent in third in the initial stages of this race, as Sunday Sovereign made the running ahead of stablemate Tai Sing Yeh winning jockey Sean Bowen was content to track the leaders in the hope that the gaps would appear.

For a few strides over a furlong out, it looked as though the door might be closed but once Tai Sing Yeh got to the front inside the final furlong, Sunday Sovereign dropped back, allowing Bowen to find a clear passage up the rail.

Staying on best close home, Is That Love headed Tai Sing Yeh to run out a three-quarter-length winner.

The Adrian Murray trained Beauty Bella kept on best of the remainder to take third.

Assistant trainer 'Corky' Carroll said:- “We only have him a few weeks. He's a straightforward, simple horse to train.

“He's after doing his job for us. They claimed him out of Killarney, Sean was keeping an eye on him and he picked him out.

“He'll go for something similar if he's not claimed.”

Is That Love was subsequently claimed by P Sweeney to be trained by HD McGuigan, while Gavin Cromwell claimed Ampeson

Additional reporting by Gary Carson.