Ferny Hollow tore up the script for Leopardstown’s Grade 1 feature on St Stephen’s Day to improvise an impressive victory.
Expectations that Willie Mullins’s star would sit in behind his trail-blazing rival Rivere D’etel got confounded from the start.
Instead the 10-11 favourite wasted little time grabbing the initiative himself with jockey Paul Townend determined to let no advantage slip away.
Rivere D’etel, in receipt of valuable weight allowances for both age and sex, kept close tabs on her rival and put in an admirably persistent challenge in the straight.
The most significant impression made in the race by the winner’s stable companion, Grand Bornand, was in the fence in front of the stands which he put a hole in on the first circuit with a bad blunder.
That obstacle subsequently had to be bypassed and yet at the end of a long run-in Riviere D’etel still came up a length and a half short of Ferny Hollow.
The latter was left unchanged by some firms as a 7-4 favourite for the Arkle at Cheltenham but in the circumstances Mullins felt it was an “awesome” performance.
“I thought that was a huge performance to give that weight (13lbs) to a filly that no one has got near all season.
“He had come back from an 11 month break last time but had only three weeks this week - I was worried all week I was asking too much coming back so soon.
“Everything was against him but he still pulled it out of the bag. He loves jumping. I really did think it was an awesome performance on his behalf,” said the champion trainer.
Townend reported that going to the front hadn’t been pre-planned but that he was determined to make the most of Ferny Hollow’s jumping.
It completed a double on the card for the rider whose day started inauspiciously as the odds-on State Man hit the deck after the second last flight in the opener.
Sir Gerhard in the same Cheveley Park colours of Ferny Hollow proved an ideal confidence booster.
Last season’s champion bumper winner at Cheltenham also made most to make a winning debut over flights and earn quotes of as low as 9-2 for the Supreme at the festival in March.
“I’d like to climb the ladder if I could but he might just have to go into a graded race next, maybe at the Dublin Racing Festival, something like that. I think he’s up to it,” Mullins said.
Another odds-on favourite, Facile Vega, brought up a three-timer on the card for Mullins in the bumper.
The son of the record Cheltenham festival star Quevega lived up to his trainer’s expectations and accelerated clear of his rivals in the closing stages.
Combined with Tornado Flyer's shock 28-1 King George victory it completed a fruitful first day of Christmas action for Mullins although his great rival Gordon Elliott was also in fine form.
Fil Dor is a 5-2 favourite for the Triumph at Cheltenham after comfortably landing the odds in Sunday's Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle.
Davy Russell did the steering on Fil Dor who proved seven lengths too good for Lunar Power.
“We were mad about him from day one as a specimen but he never really excited us in his work. He keeps it all for the racecourses. He’s like riding a point to pointer down to a hurdle, he’s so good to jump,” Russell said.
The veteran rider doubled up for Elliott in the following handicap hurdle as The Greek at 14-1 got the better of Belgoprince by a nose in a handicap hurdle.
