Shaneshill and Patrick Mullins© Photo Healy Racing
< Diakali opened his new campaign with a ready front-running victory in the feature Fishery Lane Hurdle at Naas on a day when Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh landed a treble together.
Sent off the 4-6 favourite, the prolific four-year-old raced with zest as Walsh dictated terms to a small but select field in the Grade Three event.
All four runners held a chance coming into the straight and though recent Fairyhouse scorer Mr Fiftyone was the one who threw down the main challenge, Diakali was too strong and kept on to win by two and a quarter lengths.
Walsh and Mullins - who went on to a four-timer himself - were completing a quick double after the victory of the progressive two-miler Rupert Lamb in the Monread Rated Chase, in which he too faced three rivals.
The 9-10 favourite set off in front and stayed there, fending off the opposition coming down the straight and having enough in the locker to beat Dylan Ross by two and three-quarter lengths.
The treble came up when 9-10 favourite Clonard Lad found more on the run-in to hold off Riverside City s charge by half a length in the Book Hospitality On Line Maiden Hurdle.
Mullins, who also won the bumper with Shaneshill (5-2 joint-favourite), did suffer one reverse, when Gigginstown's odds-on Turnandgo was cut down on the run-in in the www.naasracecourse.com Maiden Hurdle by Philip Fenton's The Tullow Tank (9-4), who won by a length and a half under Danny Mullins.
The Gigginstown colours were, however, carried to victory in the Naas Annual Membership Beginners Chase when Davy Russell led all the way on Noel Meade's Road To Riches (11-4), who saw off You Must Know Me and then held Foxrock by two lengths.
Robert Murphy's improving eight-year-old Mrs Mac Veale (6-1) hit the front jumping the final flight in the Event Hire At Naas Racecourse Mares Handicap Hurdle and quickly put the race to bed under Andrew McNamara, winning by two and a half lengths to complete her hat-trick.
