The Gunner Yeats was well-backed into 8/15 for the ThurlesRaces.ie Maiden Hurdle and justified the confidence by galloping on strongly through the rain-softened ground to record an ultimately facile victory.

Brian Hayes sent the point-to-point winner to the front before three out and the Willie Mullins-trained gelding was in total command from well before the last to beat stablemate Feu Du Bresil like the winner also sporting the colours of Susannah and Rich Ricci, by 25 lengths. Mastermacblack was another 24 lengths back in third as ground conditions continue to worsen following persistent rain.

Hayes said, "He had the class to do that, being an expensive point to pointer and it was only a matter of steering him around.

"He is a very nice horse and to ride him, he feels like a staying chaser. He is by Yeats so will probably be going out in trip. He travels like a good horse so we'll see how he steps up now.

"He was keen here one day in a schooling hurdle with Paul Townend. They put a hood on him then at Navan, when he was keen again but we went a good gallop from the start today on slower ground."

Quotes by Tom Weekes