Touch Back takes the opener at Leopardstown

The opening race of the four day Leopardstown Christmas Festival, the Racingpost.com Maiden Hurdle, went to recent Thurles bumper winner Touch Back for his trainer Christy Roche with Alan Crowe aboard.

Sent to post the 9/4 second favourite the son of Shantou jumped the last alongside the 4/6 favourite, the Willie Mullins trained Marasonnien but found more on the run in and went on to score by four and three parts of a length.

The Robert Tyner trained Strange Talk ran at cracker at the odds of 50/1 to finish three and a half lengths back in third.

Winning trainer Christy Roche said afterwards: "It's nice to be back with a Leopardstown horse again. I wouldn't be getting carried away with him but he is probably the best horse I have at the moment."

Bookmakers Sean Graham introduced the winner at 20/1 for the Supreme Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.