Naas review: Cilaos Emery headlines Naas treble for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend

A nine length fourth in the Champion Hurdle last term, the nine-year-old failed to live up to market expectations on his seasonal return when second to stablemate Bachasson but bounced back to form with a wide margin success.

The two mile contest proved to be little more than a match with only Daly Tiger, of his three rivals, able to live with the 1/2 favourite but the progressive handicapper's challenge had been dealt with before the final fence.

Winning rider Paul Townend told Racing TV: "He just never got in a rhythm at Clonmel; he did the opposite of what I wanted him to do that day. It was a taking performance, back to himself.

"He (Daly Tiger) made a race of it but in the end we were well on top.

"I'd imagine so (that he will head for the Champion Chase), he seems to enjoy getting on with it so trying to slow him down over two and a half at Clonmel didn't really work, but we'll leave that to Willie (Mullins, trainer). He's good and brave, he was today, hopefully this can see him back to the horse he was."

Sky Bet cut Cilaos Emery to 20/1 from 33s for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at next month's Cheltenham Festival while Betfair Sportsbook and Paddy Power make him a 16/1 chance but Mullins was reluctant to commit his charge to Cheltenham where he is also entered for the Ryanair Chase.

“I don’t know if he’ll travel," he said.

“There might be nice prizes on the home front. It’s good to get him back to winning ways. We did a lot of work on his jumping and I’m very pleased it has paid off.

“The break did him no harm and he’s come back good and strong. He jumped great and I was really pleased with that. We’ll try to find another similar type of race for him.”

Mullins and Townend soon doubled up as Echoes In Rain barely turned a hair in winning the Paddy Power Betting Shop Novice Hurdle.

The 11/8 favourite finished fourth in the Grade Two Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle on her previous start and, although kept to the same grade, faced an easier opportunity and didn't disappoint, settling far better than has sometimes been the case.

"She jumped great and she raced more like a NH mare today and I think she is growing up the whole time and she will learn how to race properly," Townend said.

"Free-going sorts just take a little bit of time but hopefully, she looks like she's one worth doing things right with and she's got a nice future. There was plenty of pace in it so we were happy to try and get her to relax today."

Mullins said: “She’s learning and at least she got a full round of jumping in there, not like the last day here, when it was nearly a Flat race (hurdles not jumped in the straight due to the low lying sun). She’s learning how to settle and there was a good pace, which helped her.”

Considering future targets, the champion trainer added: “There is a race here in a fortnight that might be a little too soon for her and there is also a novice in Fairyhouse at Easter.

“She had a tough enough race there because she is tough on herself. Maybe the experience over hurdles is teaching her to race and it might do her no harm experience-wise for the future.

“She has a lovely turn of foot and if we could teach her to settle better and use that, she could make a very smart two-miler. A faster pace over better ground would help her. She’s going the right way.”

Egality Mans (8/11 favourite) completed a treble for Mullins and Townend when landing division one of the Paddy Power Livestream UK & Irish Racing On The App Maiden Hurdle but the pair were denied a four-timer when Micro Manage could only finish second to Genois (10/3) in division two.

Home By The Lee (5/1) came from off the pace to win the Paddy Power "From The Horse's Mouth" Podcast Novice Handicap Chase for Joseph O'Brien and JJ Slevin.

The Fame And Glory gelding was winning for the sixth time in a short career that has seen him highly tried on occasion, including when third in the Grade One Drinmore behind Envoi Allen on his penultimate start.

The six-year-old was pulled up on his handicap debut over three miles in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival but his stamina was in evidence on this drop back to two and a half miles as he powered clear from the last to win by 10 lengths.

"He's been a great horse, he won two bumpers, he won a hurdle and now three chases; he's a great horse to have in the yard," Slevin said.

"The Paddy Power was my fault, I didn't want to give up too much ground in a big field and I lit him up a bit, he ran at the first two fences and panicked a bit and unfortunately burst a blood vessel.

"He's a great stayer and he's shown that in most of his races, his last three quarters of a mile is very strong. I was always hopeful if I could keep any sort of tabs on them as I knew the way he could come home. He actually lazed a bit when he got there and had a look around.

"I don't know where he's going to go but the Irish National on Easter Monday could be well worth a look, I wouldn't mind something like that."

Hugh Morgan was wearing Liam Mulryan's colours when recording a remarkable success aboard Young Dev for trainer Dylan Hogan last weekend and all three combined with Zoffanien (6/4 favourite) who defied top-weight in the Paddy Power Road To Cheltenham Handicap Hurdle.

Light Brigade (4/1) won the Paddy’s Rewards Club Handicap Hurdle for trainer Charles Byrnes and jockey Kevin Brouder, while Gerri Colombe (1/2 favourite) won the closing Paddy Power (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race.

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