Shuffle The Deck and Mark Walsh, white cap© Photo Healy Racing
Shuffle The Deck built upon a promising third at Punchestown to win the extended 2m3f maiden hurdle for four-year-olds at Naas.
Willie Mullins saddled French-import Karbau who was a wide-margin winner on the level in his native country, and he went off 5/4 joint favourite with Shuffle The Deck.
Karbau led throughout, but was claimed on the approach to the last by Shuffle The Deck with Eastern Legend in close attendance.
Shuffle The Deck jumped the last well and forged on to score by three and a-quarter lengths, under Mark Walsh, from Eastern Legend (7/1). Bowensonfire showed plenty on hurdle debut as he got up for third at 66/1 from Karbau.
Ted Walsh said: "He did it nicely. He stays and jumps.
“He looks like a horse that will make a nice chaser. His first run was a goodish run and he came on from it, it looks like he's improved a bit from that.
“He is what he is, he stays going and he gallops. He's only a four-year-old and with his pedigree he should make a nice chaser. His half-brother Verdant Place won yesterday.
“Hopefully, he goes on to be a nice horse, lots of horses win a maiden hurdle.
“I've had a few nice novices over the years and I'd say he's as good as we've had at this stage, but he has a long way to go.
“Somebody asked me there how good he was and I said 'well he's not Rince Ri'.
“He's entered in the Lawlor's (at Naas) and he'll probably run there unless they (JP McManus) have something better.”
Paddy Power shaved Shuffle The Deck from 40/1 to 33/1 for the Albert Bartlett.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
