Mystic Theatre and Paul Townend© Photo Healy Racing
Mystic Theatre delivered at odds of 4/11 when taking the Tom McCormack Memorial Cup Mares Maiden Hurdle at Kilbeggan.
It very much went to script for the smart point-to-point and bumper performer as Paul Townend kept it simple from the front on the Rose Boyd-owned and Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old. Gracemount gave chase from some way out but Mystic Theatre was un-extended for a seven length win.
"She was entitled to do it I suppose and we'd have been disappointed if she didn't," said Townend.
"She had experience in point-to-points. She jumps and gallops and there was no point in complicating it.
"I'm delighted. It took me a while to pull her up and it's a while since I rode a winner around Kilbeggan that I had to do that.
"She's going to go on and do plenty and you'll hear plenty about her. She had her form in the book and was entitled to do that. She can only build on it and it's nice to get that out of the way.
"It was straight forward enough for her there and it probably won't be as easy the next day."
C.D. Maxwell, rider of Isn't She Lovely trained by J.G.Cosgrave, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount hung left and jumped left from flag fall.
(GC & EM)