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Review fairyhouse 23rd Feb
Roie Du Mee (far side) and Prince De Beauchene
© Photo Healy Racing
< Roi Du Mee called a temporary halt to the Willie Mullins party at Fairyhouse as he dug deep to see off the odds-on Prince De Beauchene in the feature At The Races Bobbyjo Chase.
Last year's winner Prince De Beauchene had every chance but was keen in the early stages and that probably cost him as he finished two lengths adrift of the Gordon Elliott-trained runner, with Seabass running a solid race in third.
Elliott, who was travelling back from Newcastle's abandoned Eider Chase meeting, said plans were fluid for the 5-1 winner, who holds entries in the Ryanair Chase and Aintree National.
Connections of Prince De Beauchene and Seabass were not at all downhearted, and Aintree remains the plan for both.
Mullins had earlier broken the record for the number of NH winners in a season held by Aidan O'Brien when Away We Go made it 156 for the campaign in the attheraces.com Exclusive Barry Geraghty Blog Handicap Hurdle.
Mullins, who pointed to the wet summer helping him get victories on the board much earlier than normal, will give the winner, who responded positively to the fitting of a tongue-tie, an entry in the Irish National.
Mullins equalled O'Brien's total, set in the 1995-96 season, when Glens Melody (4-6 favourite) ran out a smooth winner of the ITBA Fillies Scheme Novice Hurdle, staying on strongly to beat Byerley Babe by two and three-quarter lengths.
Mullins has earmarked the new Grade One mares hurdle at this track's Easter festival for the winner.
Charles O'Brien recorded his biggest success as a trainer over jumps as Stocktons Wing (5-4) booked his Triumph Hurdle ticket in the Grade Two Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle.
The Arthur Moore-trained Home Farm created a 25-1 surprise as he delivered a power-packed finish to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase by five lengths under David Casey.
Leading hunter Tammys Hill twice conqueror of Salsify this season, suffered an odds-on reverse in the John McCarthy Memorial Hunters Chase behind Warne (9-1).