Daneking improved on three previous placed efforts over hurdles to win the Follow Navan On Facebook Maiden Hurdle at Navan today for current Champion Trainer Willie Mullins and Champion Jockey-elect Ruby Walsh.

The winner raced prominently throughout and in the end maintained his gallop to see off the challenge of Drumlee by a length and a half.

Afterwards Mullins stated “he (Daneking) was very free and was very hard on himself throughout the race but jumped well. I imagine we might stick to novice hurdles at home with him and I think he'll appeciate much better ground too.

“He's a bit too honest and wants to race from flagfall but if we could teach him to settle, it would be much better.”

In a curtailed week of racing, Mullins supplied two winners at Gowran yesterday but produced a more notable double during the week when, as reported in his 'Moment of the week' column in yesterday's Racing Post, his pet hen gave birth to two chicks!

By Thomas Weekes, quotes from Gary Carson