Beau a popular winner of Galway opener

Willie Mullins' Minella Beau (5/4) justified his market-position with an all the way success in the Win Big With Tote Maiden Hurdle at Galway.

Stable companion Castello Sforza was trying to put it to the Ruby Walsh ridden victor when making a mistake at the second last. Turbojet (jumped left and not fluent at the last) tried valiantly from the last but he failed by three parts of a length to reel in Minella Beau.

"It's fantastic for the Mees. It was Michael's idea to come here. We'd have put him out until the winter but Michael said if the ground was safe that he should run here," said Patrick Mullins in the aftermath.

"He wants further and softer ground to be seen at his best. He is a point-to-pointer."

Of course the Mee family also struck last night courtesy of Three Wise Men.

(AM & EM)