Saturnas showed improvement from his second place in the Royal Bond to take the Grade One Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle in Leopardstown.

With this success, Willie Mullins landed the first four races on the card.

Paul Townend and Saturnas raced in second behind clear leader Le Martalin The pair closed up on Le Martalin at the fourth last and tracked him round the bend towards the second last.

Saturnas took a narrow lead jumping the penultimate obstacle but had Brelade on his shoulder sweeping round the home bend.

Towned asked Saturnas for more coming to the last and his partner kept finding as he increased the lead to two lengths jumping that hurdle.

He was ridden on the run-in and kept up the momentum to win by a couple of lengths at 9/2. Brelade, the runner-up, was an 8/1 chance.

Ruby Walsh was on Saturnas' stablemate Riven Light who made numerous mistakes throughout as he raced in rear. He kept on to be fourth.

Saturnas brings up the four-timer at @LeopardstownRC for @WillieMullinsNH as he wins the Future Champions Novice Hurdle: pic.twitter.com/sM03LMwjGS

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 27, 2016

Willie Mullins said: “He did it the hard way. We knew there was going to be a good pace. We weren’t afraid to make it but anyway we weren’t allowed.

“He jumped and galloped and he has lots of stamina. You can depend on his jumping and that’s what keeps him in the race. Stamina then won it for him.

“He'll probably come back here for the Deloitte.

“Ruby’s (Riven Light) just wasn’t jumping behind but I think that horse ran a cracker and if we can get his jumping right he could be a force.

“It was good for my owner (Nick Peacock). I think he is just back from two or three months holidays.

“I thought he maybe just met Airlie Beach on a good day in Fairyhouse. Certainly today I felt he travelled a lot better the whole way.

“It’s also fantastic for Paul to get a Grade One winner. It’s not often Ruby picks the wrong one. I’m delighted for Paul.”

Paul Townend added: "He ran a nice race in Fairyhouse in the Royal Bond, he just bumped into Willie's other one (Airlie Beach). He came on for that I thought.

"It was a proper race, a true run race. It was a good gallop and he jumped super and he ground it out. He was very tough. He travelled a bit sweeter today. Maybe it was the ground or what, I don't know. He definitely carried me a lot better today."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson