Very easy for Warrior in Tramore opener

1/12 shot Gaelic Warrior couldn't have won much easier as he sauntered to a wide margin success in the opening maiden hurdle at Tramore this afternoon.

The Willie Mullins-trained gelding had narrowly lost out in the Boodles Hurdle at Cheltenham on his sole start for the yard back in March.

With a rating of 134 he looked head and shoulders above his rivals in today's two-miler and so it proved.

Paul Townend tracked Littel Flour early on before letting his mount jump to the front at the fifth hurdle.

The Maxios gelding went clear going out on the final circuit and it was all over from there as he popped his way around to record an effortless 86-length success.

Townend said: "He was entitled to do that and it's nice to get him back on track. When Shane (Fitzgerald, on Littel Flour) wanted to go on I was happy to take a lead. I just wanted to go a gallop and get a good blow into him and we did that today."

Paddy Power made the winner a 16/1 shot (from 20/1) for the Supreme Novices Hurdle while he is now 10/1 (from 12/1) for the Ballymore. They also have him at 16/1 for the Albert Bartlett.

(Quotes by Donal Murphy)