Hobson is the punters choice in opener

For the third consecutive day Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins successfully teamed up to take the opening race at Galway as Thomas Hobson landed the Tote 100,000 Euro Pick6 Guarantee Maiden Hurdle.

The Halling gelding was a very useful handicapper on the flat for John Gosden before being purchased by present connections for 240,000 sterling.

However the five-year-old was let down badly by some poor jumping on his hurdling debut at Listowel last month, and was far from foot perfect again here.

The 11/10 favourite set the pace and made his first serious mistake three out before further errors at the final two.

Chief market rival Stuccodor threw down a serious challenge in the straight but Thomas Hobson pulled out plenty under pressure on the run-in to score by four lengths. The Welsh Wizard was a further 11 lengths adrift in third.

Mullins said, "He jumped brilliantly for the first part of the race. He had Ruby looking for a long one at the third last and he asked him but the horse didn't respond and galloped through it. He was lucky not to fall.

"I think Ruby left him alone at the second last but the horse had lost his confidence at that stage. At the last I think he just wanted to get to the other side.

"We held him up the first day and it didn't suit him. A lot of those horses from the flat can be very free, and today we decided if no one else wanted to make the running that we would make it. We thought he had plenty of stamina.

"We have been doing a lot of schooling with him in behind other horses and he's not great but he's learning all the time. It's just a matter of experience."

Walsh said, "He was spot on at the third last but just kept galloping and got his hind end up a bit high, and at the second last he should have fiddled it but he didn't. It was a hell of a lot better than Listowel but there is still room for improvement.

"He came right back onto the bridle quickly after the third last and he grinded it out well in the end. He's a work in progress."