Hunters Yarn, right, cruises home© Photo Healy Racing
Hunters Yarn was Willie Mullins' final runner in Ireland before the Cheltenham Festival and he couldn't have been more impressive in the concluding bumper at Limerick.
The 8/13 favourite travelled beautifully on the heels of the leaders and glided to the front over two furlongs from home.
Patrick Mullins barely had to move a muscle as his mount eased home by six lengths from Grand Soir (4/1).
This gave Willie Mullins a Limerick double as El Barra landed the beginners' chase by a wide margin.
Patrick Mullins said: "He has a lot of ability and it was getting late in the season to lose his novice status so Willie wanted to go back for a bumper and keep him for a novice for next year.
"His hurdles run the last day was a long way below his best, he must have had some setback but I don't know off the top of my head. His work is very good and that's more like it.
"He is definitely a graded horse and maybe he'll go for one of those good bumpers in the spring, but he could also go for a graded hurdle. If he won it, great, and if he didn't he would still be a novice for next season."
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
