Pumbaa got favourite backers off to the perfect start at Limerick, as he took the opener, the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle, under Kevin Sexton (third winner of the week) for Jimmy Mangan.

The five-year-old son of Vinnie Roe, who won a bumper over the course and distance for Sharon Dunphy in December of last year, was sent off the well-supported 8/11 favourite, having opened at 11/8 on-course.

On his third start for Jimmy Mangan, the bay gelding made virtually all, and he was pushed out to assert approaching the second last, staying on well from there to score in convincing fashion by four lengths. Bawntameena who was 13/2 with Paddy Power this morning, kept on to take second at 16/1 under Stephen Gray for William Hayes, while Hurricane Sky was a further length and a half back in third under Ben Dalton for Charles O’Brien at 11/4.

Jimmy Mangan wasn’t present for the win as he is at a point-to-point in Kinsale, but his daughter Jane was available for comment afterwards, and she said: "We thought that he was bit better than a maiden and he will go for a novice hurdle next.

“He jumps like a chaser in the making.

"There are twenty members in the syndicate (the Rafiki Syndicate), nineteen are from Thurles and one is from Mallow."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes