MULLINS' ACE IS FAB

Townend praises star after emphatic 21-length victory

- By GARY CARSON

EL FABIOLO made the most of having his sights lowered with a wide-margin victory in the QuinnBet Hurdle at Leopardstown.

A four-time Grade One winner over fences, the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old successfully reverted to the smaller obstacles at Punchestown on New Year's Eve, but finished tailed off after making much of the running in last month's Irish Champion Hurdle.

Dropping down in class on his return to the Foxrock circuit, El Fabiolo was the 2-7 favourite to claim a 10th career win and he predictably outclassed his rivals with a dominant 21-length success under Paul Townend.

His stablemate Soir De Garde came from a long way back to beat Maxxum to the runner-up spot.

Townend said: “I thought if I could hold him for some bit of the race it would be a help, but when they were going that slow I just let him at it because I didn't want to get into too much of a fight with him.

“He seems to be enjoying life. He took on his hurdles really nicely and hes won really well.