Rhyl Accord defied an absence of 333 days to complete a double for rider Paul Townend (he had earlier scored on Gentle Alice by landing the odds in the Holycross Maiden Hurdle in good style.

Townend took the son of Accordion wide for the whole of the two and a quarter miles and he led aboard the well-backed favourite (11/8 best in the morning into 4/5) between the last two. From there he sauntered home to beat Emotional Melody by four and a half lengths.

Gary Davies, said on behalf of absent winning trainer, Willie Mullins: "That was a nice performance after being off the track for the best part of twelve months. It is always a worry coming back on deep ground like that but he was very fit and he did the job nicely." An Toileanach the second favourite, dropped out from halfway and he was found to have been struck into on his right hind and to be lame.