After taking the previous race with Ivan Grozny Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins quickly doubled-up with Penhill in the Grade 3 Joe Mac Novice Hurdle.

A five time winner on the level when trained in the UK, Penhill was successful on his debut over flights at Tramore in May.

He then disappointed when bursting a blood vessel at Killarney, but bounced back to winning ways at the Galway Festival, before winning again at Listowel on his last start.

Sent off the even money favourite this afternoon, he raced towards rear, and wasn't fluent at the first two obstacles.

He progressed into second after three out, and cruised to the front approaching the straight. He was a few lengths clear when awkward at the last, keeping on well on the run-in to score by four and a half lengths. Balzac Turgot ran well to finish second under David Mullins for Henry De Bromhead at 11/2, while Timiyan was fifty-nine lengths back in third. Bitview Colin crashed out at the fourth last, while Bel Sas unfortunately took a fatal fall five out.

Ruby Walsh said afterwards: "He is a fair horse but doesn't jump the Easyfix hurdles quite as well as he does the timber hurdles. He was quite deliberate over the first two but got better as he went on.

"It's as soft as he (Mullins) has ran him on but the same as Listowel, he's gone and won on it so you can't really stop can you.

"Other than Killarney (when he burst a blood vessel) he has done everything right. He never did it before or since and we've no idea why he did it.

"He keeps improving though and I imagine he'll keep going until he tells us otherwise."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes