Willie Mullins, who will be represented by One Night Out in the Grand National here tomorrow, landed three winners on the opening day of the Fairyhouse Easter Festival this afternoon.
Mullins struck in the Bigger Winnings With The Tote Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase with Killultagh Storm who was second in the race last year and was out to account for Alcapone on this occasion.
The County Carlow trainer plans to send his winning favourite to Punchestown where a clash with champoion chaser Moscow Flyer is on the cards in the BMW Chase.
Mullins enjoyed his second winner when the improving Nobody Told Me ran out the comfortable winner of the Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final.
'She is a super jumper and may come back here on Tuesday for a handicap hurdle. If not, we will keep her for Punchestown. We bought her as a fun horse and she is everything we hoped for,' said Mullins.
His Cheltenham disappointment Royal Alphabet bounced back to winning ways when running away with the bumper.
Jamie Codd sent the 6/4 favourite to the front over a furlong out and the partnership kept on to win by a comfortable 2 1/2 lengths from the highly promising Flexable Action.
Jessica Harrington landed the Grade 3 2m4f novice hurdle with Pay It Forward which battled well to beat outsider Kings Orchard under Timmy Murphy.
The pair finished half-a-length infront of Banasan who could be considered an unlucky loser as he was trapped on the rail and only saw daylight after the last.
Khetaam was sent off a well backed favourite and although under pressure some way out, held every chance before the last before fading on the run-in.
Another disappointing market leader was Alexander Milenium who trailed in a poor fifth in the opening maiden hurdle.
The race was won by the Frances Crowley-trained Rockwell Island who led in the closing stages to win from Cookstown Lad, a 33/1 outsider who did not go unbacked.
Heart Midoltian, left in front seven fences from home when the front-running Foxey Dove crashed out, made the rest of the running to easily win the beginners chase.
Ian Power came home a seven length winner on the 12/1 shot with 3/1 favourite Star Performance only second.
Only four completed in the 3m1f handicap chase with the David Casey-ridden Borzov coming home an easy winner for Tom Taaffe. The 13/2 chance led from Brownie Returns at the second last fence and pulled clear to win by 11 lenghts.
Southbay was the warm 2/1 favourite but Tony Martin's gelding fell seven fences from home.
