Getabird maintained his unbeaten record with a dominant display in the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
Willie Mullins had saddled six of the last nine winners of the Grade Two contest, with Mikael D’Haguenet (2009), Vautour (2014) and Douvan (2015) all victorious before going on to claim Cheltenham Festival glory later in the season.
The champion trainer saddled three runners in this year’s renewal and having made a big impression on his hurdling debut at the track last month, dual bumper winner Getabird was the even-money favourite to add his name to the illustrious roll of honour.
Patrick Mullins kept things simple aboard the market leader, allowing him to stride on at the head of affairs from flag-fall.
Mengli Khan, already a Grade One winner this season in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse, was aiming to get his season back on track after running out at Leopardstown over the festive period.
Gordon Elliott’s charge was sent in pursuit from the home turn, but it was in vein as Getabird galloped all the way to the line to seal a most impressive success.
The winner’s stablemate Carter McKay was third.
Patrick Mullins said: “That was great. He was quite worked up in the parade ring, which isn’t like him, and he jumped off as if he was going to run (away with me).
“But after he jumped the first he kind of backed off a bit and I was actually going a bit slower than I wanted. I wanted to make it a good test as he’s a point-to-point winner and Mengli Khan is a Flat horse.
“I was a bit worried when we turned out of the back that we hadn’t gone fast enough, but the gears he’s shown from the back of the second-last, he didn’t have those when I rode him as a bumper horse.
“That performance was better than I was expecting, to be honest.
“He jumped fantastic — he was rapid — and I’d say he has lots of options now.”
Getabird was cut to as short as 3-1 favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March and is a best-priced 10-1 for the longer Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle.
Options open
Mullins was typically keeping his options open.
He said: “Patrick getting down to 11st 2lb paid off!
“He jumped fantastic and way better than on his first run. I was a bit worried whether he would be able to jump at the speed they would be going here.
“He jumped out, made his own running, and jumped very well. I’m very happy to have won that race with him.
“All the rain we got last night was a big help to him, but certainly he seemed to have plenty of pace there.”
He went on: “I don’t know what route we’re going to go, but you’d have to think as a Supreme Novices’ trial that he’d be good enough for that, but he’ll certainly be entered for the other races like the Ballymore.
“Jumping the way he did, that brings the Supreme into the picture. After his first run I was a little bit worried, but certainly the way he was there he’d be well able to jump with any novice.
“The speed he showed was very good. He got a nice bunch of horses off the bridle and we’re on the way up, I think. I don’t know yet if he’ll go straight to Cheltenham. We’ll see how he comes out of it.”
He added: “Carter Mckay had a nice run but he’ll have to go up in trip, I’d think.”
Earlier Invitation Only led his rivals a merry dance in the Total Event Rental (Kildare) Novice Chase.
The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old fell at the fifth fence on his chasing debut at this venue in mid-November, but having bounced back with an impressive victory at Navan last month, he was the 5-4 favourite stepped up to Grade Three level in the hands of the trainer’s nephew, David Mullins.
Invitation Only travelled strongly and fenced fluently for the duration of the two-and-a-half-mile contest and had his rivals on the stretch turning for home.
His stablemate Koshari threatened to make a race of it jumping the final fence, but Invitation Only quickened up well on the run-in to score by two and a half lengths.
The winning rider said: “He’s got buckets of scope and he’s a real galloping jumper.
“I was very impressed with him. He quickened up off the bend and did everything right and he’s one to look forward to.
“I couldn’t believe at the third-last where he came from. He was as far out at the other side and he’s got it all really.”
Koshari gave the champion trainer a one-two, with The Storyteller third after making a mistake at the second-last fence.
Invitation Only was cut to as short as 6-1 for the JLT Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
