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Ruby Walsh rides Min to victory. Donall Farmer/INPHO
minimal effort

Mullins' magnificent Min reaffirms Cheltenham credentials with stylish win

Easy as you like for Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite.

WILLIE MULLINS’ MIN barely had to get out of second gear to coast to victory in the Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle at Punchestown this afternoon.

The 1-7 favourite, with Ruby Walsh on board, shot clear to win by nine and a half lengths after producing another performance which will do little to dampen the enthusiasm ahead of the Cheltenham festival.

The five-year-old has been shortened to 7-4 for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after Saturday’s comfortable win. Attribution and Ball D’Arc were second and third.

This Grade Two contest was won by the two horses – Vautour and Douvan, both stablemates of Min – who went onto win the Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in the last two years.

Meanwhile, Mountainous splashed through the Chepstow mud to land the Welsh National for a second time earlier.

The marathon test at the racecourse by the Severn Bridge connecting Wales with England had to be held over from its traditional post-Christmas slot due to waterlogging.

The ground was nevertheless stamina-sapping soft, the testing conditions underlined by winning jockey Jamie Moore’s mud-splattered smile after steering the 9-1 second favourite to a two-and-a-half length success over Firebird Flyer (25-1) with Shotgun Paddy (12-1) 11 lengths away in third.

For trainer Kelly Lee this was her biggest success in her rookie season since taking over the licence from her father, Richard.

Only six of the 20 runners managed to finish.

Additional reporting by AFP. 

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