Billaway a treble for Mullins and 200 for season in Ireland

Willie Mullins made it a treble at Punchestown, and 200 winners in Ireland this season, when Billaway landed the Champion Hunters Chase.

The raced boiled down to a match with David Christie's Vaucelet and it was Billaway who made the first error down the back but he didn't lose any ground on Vaucelet.

The pair were locked together over the last where Billaway was less than fluent but Vaucelet blundered.

This gave Billaway (11/8) the initittive and he kept on to close the race out by a length and a quarter from the even-money favourite.

Patrick Mullins said: "He is (hard work). He has a fabulous record in these races, he just has momentary lapses in concentration but in fairness to him he always finds a leg.

"There was one down the back where he just stepped out of my hands. We were lucky that the Christie horse made a mistake at the last as well as us. He's kind of always just doing enough. Fair play to him."

Willie Mullins said: “When push came to shove twice, at Cheltenham and here today, he pulled it out. He just keeps so much for himself in the locker and Patrick knows that. He’s a brave horse.

“Vaucelet ran only 13 days ago and we came here a bit fresher so I thought that might just balance out (his tough race when landing the open hunters chase in Cheltenham).”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee