Willie Mullins unleashed the first of his stable big guns on a stellar Fairyhouse card when Zaidpour made it 2-2 over hurdles in the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle on Wednesday.

The half-brother to Zaynar never came out of first gear and was soon back on the bridle after making the only semblance of a mistake two out under Paul Townend to canter home in splendid isolation.

The unbeaten novice has since had his price halved with Sky Bet for both his Festival options and is 5/1 from 10s for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle or the Neptune Novices’ Hurdle next March.

Matt Doyle of Sky Bet said: ‘The Grade 1 contest announced the arrival of Dunguib on the scene last year and we now have another star novice from Ireland in the hugely impressive Zaidpour.’

Mullins and Townend completed a quickfire Grade 1 double half an hour later when Hurricane Fly put his injury woes behind him to settle an old score with Solwhit on his comeback in the Hatton’s Grace.

Always travelling strongly, he showed a superior turn of foot on the run-in to win going away from his old rival and had his Champion Hurdle odds trimmed a point with Sky Bet into 5/1 from 6s.

Doyle added: ‘Hurricane Fly has established himself as Ireland’s premier Champion Hurdle contender after slamming a fair benchmark in Solwhit who had match fitness on his side.’

The rejuvenated Tranquil Sea ended Mullins’ domination of the Grade 1s on the card when getting first run on his J’Y Vole to spoil the party in the John Durkan Memorial Chase.

Edward O’Grady’s game winner is now 6/1 from 8s for the Ryanair Chase while runner-up J’Y Vole, who finished third in last season’s renewal of the intermediate chase, was introduced at 8/1 by Sky Bet.

Mullins, who went on to complete a treble at the meeting with Golden Silver in the Hilly Chase, suffered one major reverse when his highly regarded Mikael D’Haguenet was robbed of almost certain victory on his chasing debut in the Drinmore.

Travelling like the winner he knuckled over on landing at the last handing the Grade 1 contest to the Gordon Elliott-trained Jessies Dream, who was introduced at 14/1 for the RSA Chase.