Hunters Yarn jumps the final fence© Photo Healy Racing
Hunters Yarn showed off his engine in landing the beginners chase at Fairyhouse which was the third leg of a treble on the card for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.
He fell at the final fence when looking likely to collect in a beginners' chase over a slightly shorter trip at this track last month and made amends today although there was a major scare late on.
He took over from Polo Lounge in jumping three out and was on good terms with himself in the home straight, however, he got the penultimate fence all wrong but was soon back on the bridle as Firm Footings tried to make a race of it.
Hunters Yarn was in control at the final fence which he jumped better and he strode in by 10 lengths to justify 8/15 favouritism. Path D'oroux (7/1) came through for second as Firm Footings weakened.
Townend said: “Not without a scare, but he's learned how to save himself and he settled it quickly again after that which was nice.
“He jumped very well up to that and it was just the one mistake again, but he went down and jumped the last well after it. You have to be taken with him.
“He hit it some belt and for a second I was thinking 'not again'. I thought the fall the last day would help him find his feet and figure it out. I'm disappointed he did it again, but at least he was able to recover from it today.
“It shows that he has a big engine to recover from it and win as impressively as he did.”
Mullins and Townend were also on the board with Uncle Phil (11/2) and Miss Manzor (6/4f).
Paddy Power shortened Hunters Yarn from 25/1 to 16/1 for the Arkle and from 50/1 to 33/1 for the Turners.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
