Power Of Pause and Paul Townend © Photo Healy Racing
The 5/6 favourite Power Of Pause duly obliged in the I.N.H. Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle (Div II), scoring by a length and a half from the staying-on Torygraph (11/2).
The winner travelled well before coming through to lead at the second-last. He was nicely clear when very awkward at the last and that enabled the runner-up to narrow the winning margin close home.
Long-time leader The Priests Leap (11/4) could find no more after being headed and finished a further ten lengths back in third.
The Willie Mullins-trained Doyen gelding won a point-to-point last year before finishing runner-up in a couple of bumpers earlier this year.
Winning rider Paul Towned said: "It was nice to get him a win, he hit the cross-bar a few times in bumpers and he'll probably make a better jumper than he was a bumper horse.
"I wouldn't worry about the few mistakes he made, he'll be fine."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
