'It could be a Willie special!' - Monkfish cut for Stayers' after securing first win since 2021 Cheltenham Festival

Monkfish was cut to 16-1 for the Stayers' Hurdle after the giant ten-year-old showed his powerful engine remains largely intact after a convincing success in the Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle.

Trained by Willie Mullins, Monkfish was having only his third run in just under three years and registering his first success since landing the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival.

The winner took some time to warm up under Paul Townend in the deep ground and was probably not entirely suited by the very slow gallop. However, when others were floundering late on, he was only just getting into gear and was not flattered by his five-and-a-half-length success over former Supreme Novices' winner Summerville Boy. Younger rivals Ashdale Bob and 5-4 market leader Thedevilscoachman were well held in third and fourth.

Townend said: "It's good to get him back. He settled brilliantly for the slow gallop they were going. It turned into a bit of a dash down the straight, but he showed he retains plenty of his ability. He will come on for it plenty."

Patrick Mullins, representing his father, said: "He has stood well to training this year. He was supposed to run on New Year's Day, but he got a little bang which turned out to be nothing. Ruth Dudfield has done tremendous work with him at home and hopefully he will be able to stand up to it better.

"Now that we have that run under his belt, we might be able to mix and match a bit. He will probably go straight to Cheltenham, there isn't a whole lot for him before then and it's only seven weeks away.

"I don't know what his most likely target is at Cheltenham. He's in the Gold Cup and I'm pretty sure he's in the Stayers' as well. It could be a Willie special!"

Donnelly just avoids red face

It was a very good day for Luke Donnelly, 20, who rode his first winner under rules from just his second ride when landing the opportunity handicap hurdle on topweight Champagne Platinum for Enda Bolger, a horse who beat Thyestes winner Ain't That A Shame in a Navan beginners' chase two years earlier.

Champagne Platinum (left) gets the better of Billy Lee Swagger to give jockey Luke Donnelly his first success from just his second ride under rulesCredit: Patrick McCann

It was neither simple nor undramatic, as Donnelly mistook the winning post and eased up for a few strides on the run to the line. Luckily the penny dropped in time and he rediscovered his vigour to score by a head from favourite Billy Lee Swagger, whose rider James O'Sullivan lost his whip after the last.

Donnelly said: "I just misjudged the line. When I got past where I thought it was I said to myself I may go again! I've been full-time with Enda since September and was delighted to get the ride."

In the concluding bumper, Phidelma Elvin received an eight-day ban for using her whip with excessive frequency on runner-up Harry's Dream, the race going to 4-5 favourite Samyr, who won by eight lengths.

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