Gaelic Warrior and Paul Townend pictured on their way to victory© Photo Healy Racing
Supporters of Gaelic Warrior never had a moments worry, as he ran out an easy winner of the Munster Hurdle, completing a double for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.
Just beaten at last year's Cheltenham Festival, the German bred son of Maxios was an extremely easy winner at Tramore last month and was widely expected to follow-up this afternoon.
Available at 3/10 in early shows, the five-year-old eventually went off at the prohibitive odds of 1/14.
Sent straight to the front by Townend, he made all and raced in a clear lead throughout. He did jump right at the second last but still came home 15 lengths clear of stable companion Blue Sari (11/1) in second.
"He was entitled to do it and we didn't learn any more about him but got more experience into him. He is a lovely horse," Townend, who took the opener on Night And Day said.
"It is very hard work out there and he is hard enough on himself too but took breathers - the ground is proper testing.
"He was quite fresh in himself and I don't know why he did that (lunged forward) at the start - I was trying to organise myself and he was gone from underneath me."
Regarding his tendency to jump right, he added: "I was trying to keep out to the outside (on better ground) but all the room was to the right, which was always going to happen.
"He does prefer to go right to correct himself but when he is racing and going about it, he straightens up. Hopefully he can make up for the disappointment at Cheltenham last year."
Paddy Power go 3/1 about Gaelic Warrior (from 7/2) for Betfair Hurdle at Newbury next month, while he is unchanged at 5/1 for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
