Surf Club heads for home© Photo Healy Racing
It is as you were in the jockeys' title race as Paul Townend reduced the gap back to five with victory aboard Surf Club (11/4) in the beginners' chase at Tramore.
Willie Mullins' charge picked it up over a quarter of a mile from home and jumped two out well. General Clermont attempted to give chase at the last, but Surf Club got away from it nicely and scored by two and a-quarter lengths on chasing debut.
General Clermont (9/1) was booked for second and was the same distance in front of Hard Target (16/1).
Townend said: "He had been disappointing over hurdles, but he jumps like a buck.
"It was a 102 or less race today and once you jump in a race like this, it will bring you a long way and that's what he did. The better ground helped him as well.
"I think he has already made a better chaser than he was hurdler. The way he jumps it will improve him away over fences. The step up in trip and the better ground was the key to him today.
"I've no ride tomorrow, I'll be travelling to Perth for Wednesday and I'll be over and back plenty this week."
Jack Kennedy had increased his lead in the jockey's title race to six when winning the opener on Touch Me Not He is on 120 winners to Townend's 115 now.
This gave Willie Mullins an across-the-card double as Rath Gaul Boy also delivered in the opening novices' hurdle at Ffos Las under Patrick Mullins.
Additional reporting by Donal Murphy
