Fire In Soul and Bryan Cooper pictured on their way to victory© Photo Healy Racing
Newcomer Fire In Soul ran out a comfortable winner of the opener at Clonmel, the Surehaul Race Day Maiden Hurdle, despite proving friendless with punters.
The Willie Mullins trained five-year-old started at 6/4 last night with Paddy Power but drifted out to an opening show on course of 9/2, touching 5's before going off a 9/2 chance.
Settled in second by Bryan Cooper the son of Robin Des Champs came with his challenge before two out and soon led.
He went a few lengths up before the last and stretched clear on the run-in, going on to score easily by seven lengths. Thumb Stone Blues who was sent off the 11/8 favourite, kept on to take second under Brian O'Connell for Shay Barry, while the front-running Kashmiri Sunset (10/3 from 8's last night) was a further three and three parts of a length back in third under Kevin Sexton for Gordon Elliott.
Willie Mullins said afterwards: "He jumped very well and obviously stays well. That ground is very testing after the coursing meeting with people walking on it, and is a lot more testing than people might think. It's very tacky.
"He could easily go out in trip. We could have run him in a bumper but decided to go straight over hurdles, and he will go over fences next season."
The winner, who is owned by Gigginstown House Stud and cost E200,000 as a three-year-old, is a half-brother to winners Bay Cherry, Health Is Wealth and Na Trachtalai Abu
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
