Kopek Des Bordes obliges on jumping bow at Leopardstown

Kopek Des Bordes got the Christmas Festival at Leopardstown off to a flying start for Willie and Patrick Mullins with a clear-cut success in the TRI Equestrian Maiden Hurdle.

An impressive winner of a valuable sales bumper at Fairyhouse in the spring, Kopek Des Bordes (4-6 favourite) was making his seasonal reappearance and hurdling debut and tracked the pacesetting Whinney Hill from flag-fall.

The market leader was not always convincing in the jumping department, but was travelling best rounding the home turn and found plenty after safely negotiating the final flight to score by two and three-quarter lengths from his staying-on stablemate Kawaboomga.

Mullins, who elected to stay on home soil instead of travelling to Kempton to see Lossiemouth take on Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle, said: “It was a very good performance considering he got unsighted at the first and Patrick said it just unnerved him for the rest of the race.

“He didn’t jump properly, he’s a way better jumper than that. I’m hoping there is a lot of improvement in his jumping.

“He looks a tip-top animal. We’ve always thought a fair bit of him.

“He’d want to brush up his jumping, but he’d look like one that could maybe come back here for a Grade One at the Dublin Racing Festival. He looks to have that type of an engine.”

The champion trainer looked to have every chance of completing a quickfire double in the Thorntons Recycling Maiden Hurdle, but even-money favourite Redemption Day could finish only fourth as Henry de Bromhead’s Workahead dominated proceedings under Mike O’Connor.

The 13-2 shot finished third behind last season’s Champion Bumper winner Jasmin De Vaux on his hurdling bow at Navan three weeks ago and confirmed that promise with a seven-length verdict.

“That was great, a nice little Christmas present,” said O’Connor.

“We were hoping that he’d improve off the last day and he did, he put his best foot forward today.”

Hello Neighbour made a winning start to his jumping career in the O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Juvenile Hurdle.

Two from two on the Flat after scoring at Navan and Roscommon, Gavin Cromwell’s three-year-old was the 9-4 favourite to make a successful switch to obstacles and looked to travel well for much of the Grade Two contest in the hands of Keith Donoghue.

As the leaders emerged from the gathering fog on the run-in, Hello Neighbour held a narrow advantage over Lady Vega Allen and while the latter was finishing the stronger, Cromwell’s runner clung on in a thriller by a short head.

Paddy Power cut Hello Neighbour to 5-1 from 10-1 for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Cromwell said: “That was great. It was a brave call to come here on his first start (over hurdles) and thankfully he hung on.

“He was keen in snatches in the race and because of that he didn’t jump as well as he can do.

“I think when he learns to settle better in races he’ll be better again. It’s a good result.”