Salvator Mundi made odds-on backers sweat before eventually coming good in the Sky Bet Club Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday.
Runner-up to the top-class Sir Gino on his only start in France, the five-year-old finished sixth in the Triumph Hurdle on his first run for Willie Mullins before making the most of having his sights lowered at Tipperary in the spring.
He was an 8-15 favourite to make a successful return in a Grade Two contest the champion trainer has farmed in recent years, with Mikael D’Haguenet (2009), Vautour (2014), Douvan (2015) and Min (2016) among his 10 previous winners.
Salvator Mundi was keen from the off in the hands of Paul Townend and a mistake at the final flight before straightening up for home put him on the back foot.
The son of No Risk At All had to be ridden along to reel in those in front of him in the straight, but quickened up smartly to grab the lead between the final two flights and passed the post with three lengths in hand over stablemate Kel Histoire, who narrowly beat Relieved Of Duties to second.
Paddy Power make Salvator Mundi their 4-1 favourite from 5-1 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, while Coral trimmed his odds to 3-1 from 6-1.
“He was fresh and it was messy, so I would say it was going to be hard to be impressive,” said Townend. “We know he can jump but he didn’t jump well today because I couldn’t let him. He had to dig in then off the bend on tacky ground in the straight. He had to find plenty, it’s hard to be impressive on that ground but at least he won.
“He’ll have to build on it but I think he will. He has gears and on that ground it’s hard to use gears to the best effect. I’d say a stronger run race on looser ground, wetter ground even, would be a help to him.”
Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: “The engine is massive. After half a mile I thought this horse can’t win on his first run in six months when he’s pulling like that on heavy ground.
“Because he was keen Paul didn’t want to let him jump and he didn’t jump, so he’d every reason to get beaten and still won.
“It looked to me like he took a blow after the second-last and you could see Paul went down and gave him a squeeze and came with a run down to the last. He kept everything tight down to the last and there should be a lot of improvement there.
“I think in a faster run race, being let jump, he’ll improve. Paul couldn’t let him jump today because he would have been even keener and jumping his way to the front. I wouldn’t be worried about his jumping in a stronger run race.
“I think he’s probably had a hard race today and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went straight to Cheltenham.”
Willie Mullins and Townend struck earlier on the card when Lecky Watson delivered a fine front-running performance to claim top honours in the Sky Bet, For The Fans Novice Chase.
The Grade Three contest has an illustrious roll of honour, with Carefully Selected, Envoi Allen, Bob Olinger and Spillane’s Tower among the recent winners.
Having proved too strong for Supreme Novices’ Hurdle hero Slade Steel on his chasing debut at Naas last month, Lecky Watson was a 5-4 favourite to follow up and was soon bowling along at the head of affairs.
Down Memory Lane, last seen finishing third in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown, was always Lecky Watson’s nearest pursuer and looked a major threat jumping the second fence from home.
However, the market leader found more once challenged and while he was untidy at the final obstacle, he was in the clear and went on to score by eight lengths.
Down Memory Lane was a clear second, with his stablemate Farren Glory the only other finisher in third after Ifiwerearichman crashed out when still in contention at the last fence.
Coral cut Lecky Watson to 12-1 from 16-1 for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Townend said: “He enjoyed the scenery anyway, I had a job getting him to concentrate.
“At the fourth and third last when we were going on were the best jumps he threw, but the engine is in there and he settled it very quickly.
“He’s probably more mature this year as when Mark [Walsh, riding Down Memory Lane] did come with me, he wasn’t trying to charge off.
“The engine is there but we’ll have to work on his jumping, I suppose. It was frozen all week and we couldn’t give him a refresher either which probably didn’t help.
“He settled it quickly and they were no slouches behind him. I always thought he was a stayer but he was just so hard on himself. If he relaxes more it’s out [in trip] rather than back you’d be going.”
Kappa Jy Pyke completed a treble for trainer and jockey with victory in the Sky Bet Acca Freeze Maiden Hurdle.
The French recruit had to make do with the silver medal when an odds-on favourite for his Irish debut at Cork last month and was an even-money shot to go one better at the second attempt.
Always up with the pace, Kappa Jy Pyke looked to have a real race on his hands on the run to the final flight, with market rival Don’tstopthemusic being produced with a well-timed challenge.
However, the latter suffered a crashing fall, leaving the Mullins runner in the clear and he had 17 lengths in hand over the eventual runner-up Brave Brigadier at the line.
Townend said: “It was a nice performance. He built on Cork well in every sense, jumping wise and the freshness was gone out of him with the benefit of the run.
“I thought he quickened up smartly down the straight. I was actually quite taken with him.
“The horse that beat us in Cork [Sky Lord] ran well in the race before [finished fourth in Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle], so the form was there if he built on it and I think he did.
“I didn’t know how the horse behind me was going but I was still picking up and I thought it would take a fair one to go by me.”
