Twinlight shines for Willie Mullins at Leopardstown

Twinlight bounced right back to his best to win the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase and in the process condemn Hidden Cylcone to the runner-up spot in the Leopardstown feature for the second year running.

Willie Mullins’s unpredictable seven-year-old was sent off at 16-1 as he was pulled up on his last outing in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork. However, yet again he showed that when he is on a going day and in the right conditions he is a very good two-miler chaser.

Hidden Cyclone ran his usual game race from the front, seeing off Uxizandre at the head of affairs with a mile to run and putting the rest under pressure, despite jumping to his right on occasions.

All bar Twinlight were in trouble turning into the straight and it was he who saw out the race best in the conditions, winning by four and three-quarter lengths, giving a welcome change of luck to Paul Townend, who was beaten on some red-hot favourites a day earlier.

Nicky Richards’s Simply Ned stayed on gamely for third but the favourite Uxizandre and Ballycasey were very disappointing.

Mullins wasn’t up for long, though, as he watched both his charges in a five-strong field bow out of the Novice Hurdle early, when favourite Nichols Canyon unseated Ruby Walsh and then McKinley pulled up with Townend on board.

Henry De Bromhead's 11-1 shot Sizing John took advantage under Jonathan Burke, who eventually made all to win from Sub Lieutenent and Golantilla.

At one stage Tony Martin’s Golantilla looked a threat but his run petered out and Sub Lieutenant stayed on again to grab second, although they were only playing second fiddle.

The silver lining for Mullins is that his Douvan beat the winner easily when they met earlier in the season.

It capped a great 10 minutes for De Bromhead, who captured the Desert Orchid Chase with Special Tiara at Kempton. “There were a few incidents but it’s great to win and a nice bonus. Our lad nearly ran out went the loose horse came by him. I’m delighted for Johnny as it’s his first Grade One win,” said De Bromhead.

“I was disappointed with him at Gowran, but they told me Douvan is very highly regarded. I always thought he wanted better ground and the plan was to back off him after this and look to the spring.”