Popular veteran Melon gained a belated second fences win today as the four-time Cheltenham festival runner-up landed Gowran's featured Grade 2 Red Mills Chase for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Paul Townend.

The luckless ten year old had finished second four times, including in two Champion Hurdles, at consecutive Cheltenham festivals from 2017-2020, accounting for much of his €414,000 placed prizemoney haul, and today registered just a second chase win.

Chatham Street Lad was a morning defection from the race, reported cast in box, and taking on three lesser rated rivals, Melon (2/5f) made all for an easy six lengths win over Sizing Pottsie

Winning trainer Mullins later commented “it’s great to get him back to winning ways. He did a little bit of work during the week which was fantastic and we decided to come here.

“Paul said he really enjoyed himself and we’ll see where we go from here. He’s in everything at Cheltenham - he’s run great races there but it’s hard to find a race that he can win at Cheltenham. There is also Aintree so we’ll have to talk to the owners and see where we go.

“He’s a real favourite of (owners) Marie and Joe Donnelly.”

Jockey Townend added “this race looked tailor made for him. He really enjoyed himself today and it was good to get that into him as he’s had hard races and been knocking on the door in a lot of big races. That can only help his confidence.”

Paddy Power and Betfair later cut Melon to 12/1 (from 14/1) for the Ryanair Chase, a Cheltenham festival race he uncharacteristically pulled up in last year.

Quotes from Alan Magee