Blood Cotil does what is expected

The 4/9 favourite Blood Cotil took the Grade 2 Q8 OILS Juvenile Hurdle in comfortable fashion for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.

The French bred son of Enrique impressed when winning on his Irish debut at Fairyhouse last month and he followed up this afternoon.

The Rich Ricci owned gelding tracked the leaders in third in the early stages before he took closer order at the second last.

He led narrowly approaching the last and he ran on well on the run-in to record a three length success over Stocktons Wing (11/2) in second.

Mark Walsh dropped his whip aboard the Charles O’Brien trained runner-up at the last while Fisher finished a further five lengths back in third under Paul Carberry for Gordon Elliott at 9/1.

Willie Mullins said afterwards: "He is a nice sort. I knew he would stay and the ground would be no problem to him. The one worry coming here today was whether he would settle as he pulled very hard at Fairyhouse.

"We thought he had learned a lot from his first run and he jumped great today. Paul was happy with him and he wasn’t afraid to go on with him. He set him down at the last and he galloped on strongly on the run-in and he didn’t have to get serious with him.

"Hopefully he is at the top end of 3yo’s in Ireland and he will probably have just one more run before March and that might be in the Grade 1 here."

Boylesports go 14/1 from 20's about the winner for the Truimph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

(Additional reporting by Gary Carson)