The Tote-sponsored handicap hurdle was won in comfortable fashion by Rock Road (4/1) who completed an opening race double for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.

Runner-up over hurdles either side of his emphatic win in the Mayo National at Ballinrobe in May, the in-form ten-year-old moved up on the outside racing down to the the second-last which he flew and after that the race was for second.

Six and a half lengths was the margin of victory over Shoot First with Noble Birth and Drumcliff filling the frame.

The winner is entered in the Grade B BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle of €110,000.00 over the same trip on Saturday for which he'll carry whatever penalty is allotted by the handicapper.

"That was another nice surprise in the manner he did it," said Mullins.

"You're hoping that if he could bring his chase form to hurdles he could do something like that but you don't expect to do that around Galway.

"Patrick (Mullins) usually manages Simon's (Wilson, owner) horses and I'll let them decide if he runs again on Saturday but we'll see how he comes out of the race. He has a nice mark for Saturday and after today I'd imagine he won't have it again for a while, so maybe we'll take our chance and run."

He added: "It is great for Simon who couldn't be over here with Covid and he has been promising me a late night in the Bagenal (Lord Bagenal Inn) for a long while."

Quotes from Tom Weekes