“It’s great to have a race like this on RTE and fair play to everyone involved in getting it going — Lisa O’Neill and Aine O’Connor and Red Mills for getting behind it,” said Rachael Blackmore after winning race two at Gowran on Aione

This Connolly’s RED MILLS Irish EBF Ladies Auction Maiden Hurdle saw Aione make the rest of the running, having led from the seventh, for Susannah and Rich Ricci, and Willie Mullins.

Out of action for 919 days after winning his point-to-point in 2017 for Donnchadh Doyle, the strongly-supported victor (a 2/5 chance) was well in control when flicking out over the last.

The Coastal Path gelding eventually crossed the line with five and a half lengths to spare over West Cork Wildway

“He did that nicely and jumped well. He’s more a chaser in the making than a hurdler," stated Mullins.

“I think he was idling in front and you could see him looking at the mobile camera the whole way up the straight rather than going about his business. I think there is plenty more in the tank.

“The conditions of this race really suited him.

“He won’t go to the Dublin Racing Festival but will have an entry at Cheltenham and we’ll see if he can have another run between now and then.

“He could go for the Albert Bartlett or the Ballymore but we’ll have to see how much he improves in the meantime.”

(AM & EM)