'I'm very happy with that' – Impaire Et Passe receives thumbs-up from Paul Townend as he gets off the mark over fences

Grade 1-winning hurdler Impaire Et Passe made a succesful debut over fences in the opening 2m5½f beginners' chase, a race marred by the fatal fall of Twoohthree in which his rider Jack Kennedy suffered a broken leg. 

The Willie Mullins-trained Impaire Et Passe jumped adequately without having a real cut at his fences and briefly looked in trouble before the straight, but between the final two fences the 2-13 favourite went readily to the front and scored by 12 lengths from Staffordshire Knot.

The winner remains unchanged at 14-1 for the Arkle and was cut to 16-1 (from 20s) for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase with Paddy Power. 

His rider Paul Townend said: "He jumped brilliantly. He got a bit lackadaisical in the middle of the race, but I opened him up at the back of the second-last and he just took off and got a great jump at the last. He did everything I wanted him to do.

"He was quick over the first couple and just popped away after that. He went asleep on me a bit and I hoped when I asked him that he would come alive and he did. I'm very happy with that."

Anzadam provides the wow factor

State Man's owner Joe Donnelly will be very happy with his position in the Unibet Champion Hurdle now. For while the headlines were stolen by the performance of his Sir Gino in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle, plenty of eyebrows were also raised by the showing of Donnelly's four-year-old Anzadam in the Grade 3 WillowWarm Hurdle.

The son of Authorized, also trained by Willie Mullins, was making his Irish debut after winning two races over hurdles as a three-year-old in France, and he could not have been more impressive under Paul Townend, showing a decisive turn of foot between the last two to take command of the race in a matter of strides, winning by an easy six and a half lengths from Kala Conti and British challenger Dodger Long.

An impressed Townend said: "He was very keen in France and wears the hood. I was anxious to get him settled first and he actually did so brilliantly. He did everything really well. I wasn't going to light him up, I let them come round me around the bottom and things. When I pulled him out he really took off and it took me a long time to pull him up."

A cheeky inquiry as to whether he would get off State Man to ride the winner was met with a laugh, but not a derisive one. "They're in the same colours so I don't think they'll clash," he said. 

Paddy Power introduced Anzadam at 40-1 for the Champion Hurdle.

Anzadam makes a mess of the last, but it doesn't stop him running out an impressive winner of the Grade 3 hurdleCredit: Patrick McCann

Double for De Bromhead

Henry de Bromhead was out of luck with Senior Chief at Newbury but he did manage to snare the two handicap chases on this card. 

The highlight was the return to form of The Folkes Tiara in the 2m1f Listed handicap chase under Brian Hayes. Victory was achieved by a brilliant jump at the last as he scored by three-quarters of a length from The King Of Prs. 

De Bromhead said: "He had lost his form and it's great to see him back. His jumping was unreal. Brian thought he was beaten before the last until he winged it. 

"I think we'll go back to Leopardstown for the handicap chase he won last year."

The trainer's double was initiated by the victory of Sam Magee under Georgie Benson in the ladies' handicap chase.

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