Airlie Beach jumps the last under Paul Townend© Photo Healy Racing
The Willie Mullins trained Airlie Beach made it two from two, as she took the opener at Kilbeggan, the Tom McCormack Memorial Cup Mares Maiden Hurdle.
Successful in a bumper over the course and distance in August of last year, the six-year-old daughter of Shantou was sent off the 8/11 favourite this evening.
Making her debut over flights, she was settled behind the leaders by Paul Townend, and was third with a circuit to race.
She was caught in a pocket after the second last, but she got the gap she needed before the final flight and soon hit the front, going on to score easily by eight and a half lengths.
The front-running Undefined Beauty (7/2) finished second under Jack Kennedy for Edward Stanners, while Abbey Magic (33/1) kept on into third, a further twelve lengths back under Mikey Fogarty for John Berry.
Patrick Mullins said afterwards: "It was cosy enough in the end. She won her bumper here so obviously likes the track.
"The long term aim for her might be the Grade 3 hurdle at Down Royal. The same owners won it last year with Listen Dear.
"Hopefully she'll be good enough to go there and get some black-type.
"She actually has a three-year-old foal but it hasn't hindered her racing career. The father is Miguel Angel who won last month at Tramore.
"The foal is in training at the moment. Her dam was actually my first ride on the racecourse so she's a real family horse!"
The winner is owned by the Supreme Horse Racing Club and Ken Sharp, while she is a half-sister to Screaming Rose who got off the mark over flights at Killarney on Monday.
Additional reporting Gary Carson
