Willie Mullins wins Guinness Kerry National with Spanish Harlem

Earlier on the card stablemate Davy Crockett maintained his unbeaten record with a smooth win in the novice hurdle but the feature race required far greater stamina reserves from the 16/1 winner.

He had them in spades under Danny Mullins who positioned his partner towards the head of affairs. Turning in he’d beaten off all of his pursuers bar Three Card Brag and French Dynamite, and neither was to land a telling blow down the short home straight.

A safe leap at the last settled matters, Spanish Harlem going on to score by four-and-a-half lengths.

The winner’s stablemate You Oughta Know was sent off the 9/2 favourite and was still travelling well when taking a heavy fall six out.

“That was fantastic. This is the race of the week here at Listowel and to come down here on an unexposed Willie Mullins novice, who had run well at Sandown, I thought we had a great chance," the winning rider told Racing TV.

“Everything went to plan, there were a few little mistakes on the way round, but he was very tough at the heel of the hunt.

“Sean Cleary was good on him at Punchestown after Sandown and Willie was hoping to get him out a few times between then and now but it just didn’t happen with the ground being a bit lively and he just kept his powder dry, luckily enough for me."

Crockett to have sights raised

Davy Crockett is a son of Camelot and Annie Power and only made his first start in June, winning a bumper at Punchestown before a successful hurdling debut at Galway a month later.

The 1/2 favourite was very good on Wednesday, travelling sweetly throughout under Paul Townend and showing a smart turn of foot to pass stablemate La Note Verte jumping the second last, and soon clear.

Despite getting close to the final flight, his rider never had to get serious as his partner hit the line four lengths in front of nearest pursuer Arch Empire.

Davy Crockett remains the 12/1 joint-favourite with the sponsors and Paddy Power for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

The winning trainer told Racing TV: "Paul wanted to settle him in and I loved how he jumped throughout the race, he was jumping out of Paul’s hands and landing running. He was just doing too much for Paul at all stages but he eventually got him settled then took a chance on getting a break up the side and Paul said once the gap had opened up he was just through it.

“He went to the last faster than he’s been at into any hurdle in the past and made a mistake but he’ll learn. But in general I love his method of jumping, it's just so sharp for a horse having only his second run over hurdles. It’s unbelievable I think.

“He’s taking after his mother, he just never loses an inch in the air, a proper hurdler who just bends his legs and gallops out the far side."

Davy Crockett is now set to take a familiar path for the Closutton team.

“The Royal Bond would look the obvious one. I think Tipperary is going to come too soon in a couple of weeks’ time. Royal Bond, Christmas, and we’ll see about the DRF or maybe we’ll go down the Moscow Flyer route," the trainer added.

“At the moment it’s all there ahead of him. The winter horses haven’t come out yet though and we’ll have to see how he handles proper winter ground, too. He’s a sharp, flat type horse and I can see him having a career on the Flat as well."

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