Gaillard Du Mesnil sheds maiden tag in good style

Gaillard Du Mesnil stamped his class all over the two and a half mile maiden hurdle in Leopardstown.

The 11/8 favourite moved ominously well in his pursuit of front-running Magic Daze and tanked past her off the home turn.

He was swinging away on the bridle jumping the last and readily drew clear on the run-in to score by nine and a half lengths. The nicely-backed Mr Incredible came in second at 10/1 with Magic Daze (18/1) another eight and a half lengths adrift in third.

Jockey Paul Townend said: “It was a lovely performance. He's just improved a lot from his first run [when runner-up at Punchestown].

“I thought on paper it looked like a strong maiden and we went a nice gallop for the ground. I thought it was a true run race.

“As it opens up it'll get a little slower out there.”

Willie Mullins added: “I was very impressed with him. The jump he put in at the second last showed how much he had in the tank.

“He looks like a nice, middle-distance horse and we'll probably stay at that sort of trip with him.

“As he gets more racing I think he'll settle better, he was a little keen with Paul. He wasn't stopping at the end and was finishing out the race well.

“He's a horse that will go up in grade easily enough, I think.

“I suppose we'll look at the Dublin Racing Festival. It depends what we do with Appreciate It as we'll probably try and keep them apart.”

Gaillard Du Mesnil gave Mullins a quick-fire across-the-card double as his Ciel De Neige took the opener in Limerick.

Paddy Power cut Gaillard Du Mesnil from 40/1 to 16/1 for the Ballymore.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson