Sadlers Wings booked his ticket for the Punchestown Festival with an impressive victory at Fairyhouse today.
The Willie Mullins-trained gelding made amends for a below-par effort at Cheltenham by beating Point Barrow by three and a half lengths in the Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Festival Novice Hurdle.
Sadlers Wings was sent off a heavily-backed 9-2 chance for the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle last month but could manage only sixth place behind Fundamentalist.
But he made no mistake in today's Grade Two contest as he cruised home in the hands of David Casey.
The even-money favourite was always going well and Casey produced him to lead approaching the last flight before he stretched readily clear.
Sadlers Wings had become stirred up down at the start at Cheltenham and Mullins said: "I was delighted with that. He was much calmer today and didn't get upset at the start.
"The tongue-tie may have been upsetting him, so we decided to leave it off today."
Sadlers Wings could now head for the Menolly Homes Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on April 30th.
"He jumped fantastic today and David was always happy with him," Mullins continued. He will go to Punchestown from here and is entered in everything, but will possibly run in the two-and-a-half-mile novice."
Fadoudal Du Cochet ran on gamely to record victory in the €70,000 Power Home Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase.
The winner is trained by Dan Moore's son, Arthur, and the 12-1 shot had to work hard for the victory.
Conor O'Dwyer sent Fadudal Du Cochet to the front five from home and he had to fight off several challengers before proving a length too good for Colca Canyon, the 3-1 favourite.
PA