Cavallino takes opener for Mullins and McNamara

Cavallino defied a drift in the market when landing the opening Happy Easter Opportunity Handicap Hurdle for Willie Mullins and Conor McNamara at Clonmel.

The easy-to-back 100/30 shot was produced to challenge the front-running Coconut Tudor early in the straight, and got the better of promising newcomer Malinas Glory on the run-in to score by a length and a half. God Help Us kept on to finish the same distance further back in third, while Coconut Tudor could find no extra when falling at the last.

McNamara said, “It just didn't happen for him at Punchestown the last day for one reason or another and he is a bit of a lazy type who is better with a lead. He battled it out well today.

"His jumping was a bit better today. He was unlucky to miss the last in Tramore two starts ago when he looked like he’d have won only for it.

“He stayed well and he galloped well up the hill. He’s a 58,000 (Goffs Land Rover Sale) store and hopefully will jump a fence in time.”

(TW & AM)