Vischio maintained a long standing partnership between Carlow owner John Kennedy and trainer Dick Donohoe when justifying good support in the Mullingar Handicap Hurdle at Kilbeggan.

The late withdrawal of Fassbender and Mullins Cross due to the drying ground (officially good) eased the task somewhat but the well-backed 3/1 chance took full advantage.

The daughter of Holy Roman Emperor headed the front-running Cornerkova approaching the last and kept on well under Danny Mullins to beat that rival by two and a half lengths. Hot On My Heels was a further five lengths back in third.

Donohoe said, “That took a bit of time and it’s an important winner as her owner John Kennedy hasn’t had the best of health lately so that will definitely help him.

“He’s been a friend of mine for donkey’s years and he owned the first winner I ever had.

“We got her out of a Lingfield seller last year and she has taken her time to find a bit of form.

“The race cut up a bit and I was thinking she would go on the ground. We knew she was in good form.”