Mydor (left) challenges Archie Meade at the last© Photo Healy Racing
< Vautour is back on track for the Cheltenham Festival after recording a bloodless victory in the Leopardstown Killiney Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
Below form when well beaten on his previous start, last season's superb Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero put in a neat round of jumping from the front in the hands of Ruby Walsh as he sought to beat just two opponents in the Grade Two contest.
The Willie Mullins-trained 1-5 favourite had drawn the sting from Real Steel before the straight and was three lengths clear at the final fence when his main rival took a soft fall, leaving Aladdins Cave to pass the post a long way back in second.
Brian Hughes had the luxury of looking around for dangers approaching the final flight on Katie T as he was travelling so well in what looked on paper to be a hugely competitive BoyleSports Hurdle.
The 12-1 shot hit the front at that point but she was a little slow getting over the last and it allowed Modem to put in a renewed challenge, with things getting a little tight before Kevin Prendergast's mare finally asserted to score by three lengths.
Adrian Heskin went to the front on the run to the final fence on Foxrock in the BoyleSports Handicap Chase and stamina was never going to be an issue as Ted Walsh's 6-1 chance ran on strongly to beat off the well-travelling Byerley Babe by five lengths.
Davy Russell played his hand late on Golan Road in the 2015 Leopardstown Membership Mares Maiden Hurdle, sweeping down the outside to jump ahead at the last on Michael Griffin's 5-1 shot before stretching two lengths clear.
The jockey doubled up when Eddie Harty's 5-4 favourite Fletcher who raced at the head of affairs throughout, cleared away going to the last in the Leopardstown Racecourse Of The Year 2014 Maiden Hurdle and powered home by eight lengths.
Ruby Walsh also doubled up following Vautour's success when the Tony Martin-trained Mydor (9-4 favourite) ran out a cosy one-length winner of the Leopardstown Club Members Handicap Hurdle despite a mistake at the final flight.
