Salvator Mundi and Paul Townend © Photo Healy Racing
Last seen when finishing a highly creditable sixth in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival, the Willie Mullins trained Salvator Mundi enjoyed a facile victory in the opening Tipperary Town Maiden Hurdle at the Junction.
Sent off at the highly prohibitive price of 1-12f, the four-year-old won in the style those odds suggested he should.
With jockey Paul Townend sending his mount straight into the lead, the former French trained gelding just went further and further clear of his field without even having to be shaken up.
Indeed, such was the superiority of the Mullins trained horse, he was jumping the final flight by the time the rest had negotiated the second last.
At the line, Salvator Mundi had 62 lengths in hand of his toiling rivals.
Paul Townend said: “It was as easy as it looked. He loves jumping and coming out of France he has plenty of it done.
“We liked him and he was doing nice work before Cheltenham but it was a big ask for him to go there on the back of no run for us.
“He has a good level of ability and that’s obvious with his form with Sir Gino.
“I don’t know what the plan is, whether he keeps going or they leave him out now and bring him back.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee.
