Scarlet And Dove went two better than last year’s third in the John & Chich Fowler Memorial EBF Mares Chase to land the spoils at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day.
A bronze medallist in the Grade Three event behind Mount Ida and Elimay 12 months ago,Joseph O'Brien's charge was sent off the 6-4 favourite this time and the market looked to have got it right as the nine-year-old and second-favourite Dolcita came to the fore at the business end of the contest.
Jumping the last together, it was Scarlet And Dove who had more in hand up the running, pushed out by Bryan Cooper to score by just shy of five lengths and record her seventh win in 19 starts.
The daughter of Jeremy was narrowly denied Cheltenham Festival glory when finishing third in a photo finish in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase last year and the Owning Hill handler is now targeting a return to Prestbury Park for the Gigginstown-owned mare in the spring.
"She is always a difficult filly to get fit and all her career she has improved from her first run of the year. I felt she had come on," said O'Brien.
"I was impressed. They are two good mares and they sprinted up the straight and left behind a good mare.
"She will run somewhere between now and Cheltenham. She ran in the Thyestes last year but we will probably find a mares' chase for her somewhere and then on to Cheltenham.
"She ran well there last year and there is no reason why she wouldn't do it again this year."
James Du Berlais added his name to Willie Mullins' novice chasing riches with a faultless display on his fences debut.
Although a four-time winner in France, the son of Muhtathir was also narrowly denied at Grade One level twice when trained by Robert Collet, and has been tried in the highest possible company in both outings so far for Mullins, debuting for the Closutton team in the 2021 Champion Hurdle before chasing home Klassical Dream over three miles at the Punchestown Festival.
Off the track for 612 days, the seven-year-old was sent off the 1-4 favourite for the McInerney Beginners Chase in the hands of Daryl Jacob and the combination barely broke sweat as they sauntered to the front and stayed there for the duration of the two-mile-five-furlong contest to record a bloodless 15-lengh victory.
Betfair were suitably impressed and made the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned gelding 8-1 from 12s for the Turners Novices' Chase and 10s from 14-1 to stretch out in distance for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Jacob said: "He's a great jumper, but I haven't ridden a Willie Mullins horse that fresh for a long time. He's been off the track for a long time and he was fresh under me all the way.
"When he sees a fence, he says 'let me at it'. He takes them on and a couple that he's got in deep, I've tried to educate him.
"He was a very good horse over hurdles and it's good to have him back again.
"He's had a nice blow going down to the last but when I gave him a little squeeze, he's winged the last and gone away nicely.
"He could be really exciting over two and a half or three miles. He's got plenty of pace."
Mullins was also on the mark in the ITM Stallion Trail 13-14 January Maiden Hurdle with the Luke Dempsey-ridden Indiana Dream (9-4 favourite).
