< Hurricane Fly put his Cheltenham disappointment firmly behind him as he led home a 1-2-3 for the Willie Mullins team to land a third successive Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown.

Sent off the 4-11 favourite despite losing his crown last month, the eight-year-old was settled in last place by Ruby Walsh, but with only four runners he was always close enough in the testing conditions.< Thousand Stars gave way to stablemate Zaidpour on the home turn, but Hurricane Fly had the move covered and after drawing level by the final flight, he kicked away quickly to win by two and a half lengths in a thoroughly professional manner.

Tom Cooper's eight-year-old Lucky William (4-1) had come up short on previous runs at the top level, but there was nothing fortunate about the tenacious battler's thrilling victory in the Ryanair Novice Chase.

Always at the front end, he shook off Menorah to lead over the last fence and then knuckled down under Barry Geraghty to hold Blackstairmountain by a length and a half.

Geraghty completed a double when 11-8 favourite Oscara Dara powered to the front closing on the final flight and stuck on well to beat his Nicky Henderson-trained stable companion Malt Master by three and a half lengths in the Star Best For Racing Coverage Novice Hurdle.

Champion jockey elect Davy Russell rode a peach of a race to take the Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle, the third of the Grade One races on the card, on the Tony Martin-trained Dedigout

Held up for most of the way, the 100-30 chance was driven into contention approaching the final flight, where there were four in a line, and he got away from it best to forge clear by two lengths from Colour Squadron

It was back to normal in the concluding ITBA Fillies Scheme Premier Bumper as Willie Mullins scored a 1-2, with Glens Melody (11-1) scooting past stablemate Tasitiocht to win by three and a half lengths under Katie Walsh.