Smashing Irish debut for Potts' purchase

Willie Mullins completed a quick double at Fairyhouse as French-import Smashing went some way towards repaying his €130,000 price tag in the 2m4f conditions hurdle.

The field was reduced to just six runners after All The Aces was withdrawn when refusing to line up at the start and yet Andrew Lynch, sporting the familiar colours of Alan and Ann Potts, still managed to encounter some traffic problems in the straight.

However he switched the 2/1 chance left for a clear run to strike the front before the last, and the four-year-old grey gelding kept on well on the run-in to beat well-backed 11/10 favourite Speckled Wood by four and a quarter lengths.

The winner’s stablemate Primroseandblue was a further length and a quarter back in third, with long-time leader The Bishop Looney fading into fourth.

Mullins said, “It’s a nice performance. It’s his first time on that type of ground as he’s been running on heavy ground in France but we thought he would go well on the drier ground based on his homework.

“We bought him as a chaser but I saw this race and decided to start him off here to see what we have. He might continue at this job as I’ve a lot of beginner chasers to come out. I’ll talk to the owners to see what direction they want to go.

“He’ll need to improve his jumping technique. He was a bit ring-rusty early having run in two chases in France. On his work at home he’d have no trouble going further and he’s a horse with a lot of experience.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson