Fabulous Saga jumps the last under Ruby Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
The Bank Of Ireland Maiden Hurdle turned into a one horse race, with Fabulous Saga dominating from the front.
A beaten favourite on his last two starts, the Willie Mullins trained five-year-old was backed from 8/15 to 4/9 on-course.
Making his debut over flights this evening, he soon led and gradually stretched clear. He held a commanding advantage with a circuit left to race, and never came off the bridle, as he came home with twenty lengths to spare.
The Gordon Elliott trained Masterson who attempted to go with the winner early on, finished second at 11/2 under Davy Russell. Barneymac (50s to 40s on-course) completed the placings another seventeen lengths back in third for Sean Flanagan and Eamonn Sheehy.
"He did it well. He had good enough form in bumpers but he was most impressive in his point-to-point, more so than in bumpers," said Walsh.
"We were hoping a trip and a jump might bring out a bit of improvement in him and I think it probably did.
"It looked like (he had an engine) today anyway. It was probably questionable after one or two of his bumper runs but he might not just have been a bumper horse.
On his jumping: - "Coming from a point-to-point to a maiden hurdle they are different. It's different disciplines especially as we're still on summer ground. Maybe in the winter on real deep ground there are kind of similar. Hopefully he'll improve a bit that way too."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
