The Mourne Rambler and Love Me Tender among the winners at Naas

Noel Meade’s five-year-old The Mourne Rambler, who signed off last term with a Grade 1 second at the Punchestown Festival at the end of April, was sent off the 1/4 favourite for the Cavan Developments Supporting St Marys GAA Maiden Hurdle and got the job done by half a length from 7/1 shot Whisky Lads.

Winning rider Sam Ewing said on Racing TV: “I was very happy with him, I just rode him with plenty of room and he’s jumped super, I was really happy with his jumping.

“He was always going to win, I felt everywhere, but he just does enough and he keeps a little bit for himself. I always felt I had plenty left and I think he’ll take a big step forward too.”

A relieved-looking Meade said: "It does make the blood pump up a little bit when you have a fella like him!

"I've been thinking all along that he'd probably need further than two miles because of his bumper runs. Even in Cheltenham last year, halfway down he fell asleep and he had to be rousted up to get going before the stiff finish played to his hands. In Punchestown he got a little bit lost before he got going again.

"I was thinking two and a half would suit him better but it was a lovely place to start. I was obviously worried about the ground a bit but it's such a lovely track and so well looked after.

"Anyway, everything worked out and he won. He jumped brilliant, other than the last, which was great. Sam agreed with me after the race that two and a half would suit him better. He raced very lazy, but we're very happy.

"You would imagine the Royal Bond is probably the fastest two miles around so I'd have thought the centre-point for the winter would be back here for the two and a half and we'll hopefully get one in between times."

The Mourne Rambler is a 14/1 shot with sponsors for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in March, while he is a 16/1 chance for the Turners over the intermediate trip at the Festival.

Hot on the heels of The Mourne Rambler's relatively hard-fought success, the Willie Mullins-trained Love Me Tender coasted home to win the Overlander Fishery Lane Novice Hurdle by 15 lengths.

Ridden by Paul Townend, the four-year-old who ran in the Ebor in August before winning his maiden hurdle at Listowel the following month, arrived on the bridle to challenge front-running Bartholomew at the final flight before scooting clear.

Mullins said on Racing TV: "We loved the way he was working at home. A bit disappointing in the Ebor, because he was too keen, and we didn't get those two runs into him over hurdles which we would have loved to have done last spring, just to get to know the horse and settle him down.

"He looks like he has a fair engine, he looks like he's improving his jumping and the I think the faster pace they go, he will be a better jumper. I think we'll skip the Royal Bond and probably go for the race at Christmas in Leopardstown. He has the engine, we've just got to get the jumping right."

Love Me Tender was halved in price to 6/1 favourite for the Sky Bet Supreme at Cheltenham and the sponsors' Michael Shinners said: "Love Me Tender had fitness to call upon but could hardly have been more impressive in the Fishery Lane Novice Hurdle and he's the early front-runner among the Mullins novices when it comes to the antepost betting the Sky Bet Supreme.

"It didn't quite work out for him when well backed in the Sky Bet Ebor on debut for the yard in the summer but he's clearly an exciting recruit to hurdling and could go all the way to the top."

Minella Machine was the next short-priced favourite to deliver on the card as Henry De Bromhead's bumper scorer Minella Machine made the perfect start to life over obstacles.

Ridden by John Gleeson in the Robcour silks, the 4/9 chance ran out a 22-length winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle (2m3f).

The winner was trimmed to 20/1 from 33s for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

"We'd have a high regard for him and we were hoping he'd go and do something like that. Sometimes that doesn't happen so it's nice to see it. Delighted. We'll discuss it (future plans) with the team, we'll enjoy today as it was lovely to see him do that," De Bromhead told Racing TV.

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