Successful debut over fences for Marito

Marito made a successful debut over fences as the 9/10 favourite took the Killinan Beginners Chase in good style for Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh.

The French import was having just his third start for Mullins this afternoon.

He finished fifth behind Oilily on his Irish debut in March in a hurdle at Cork before he ran a cracker on his second start when just going down by three parts of a length to stablemate Drive Time in a Grade B Handicap Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.

Making his seasonal reappearance today, he raced in third in the early stages before making headway to dispute the lead with Savello approaching the fourth last.

He hit the front before three out and he asserted before the last, coming home an easy eleven length winner.

The Peter Fahey trained He'llberemembered ran on to take second at 10/1 under Shane Butler while Golanbrook was a further four and a half lengths back in third under Andrew McNamara for Tom Foley at 6/1.

Willie Mullins said afterwards: "He is not a big horse but he is very strong. He jumped well enough and he jumped better the faster they were going.

"I would have no problem stepping him up in trip to two and a half miles or two mile six.

"I have no immediate plans for him now. He is a horse that has had trouble in the past so I hope he will be ok."

(Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes)