Dublin Racing Festival: Early double for Mullins

Danny Mullins excelled as Minella Cocooner started the Dublin Racing Festival with a bang for Willie Mullins in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle.

Sporting a hood for the first time, Minella Cocooner was allowed an easy lead at the head of affairs, with his rider injecting pace into the race at various stages before easing off again.

Although he looked a sitting duck with three furlongs to run, with Davy Russell moving up menacingly on the favourite Hollow Games, Minella Cocooner (11-1) was just waiting in front.

When Mullins pushed the button he took three lengths out of the field and immediately had the rest in trouble and his jockey was once again celebrating Grade One success on a supposed second-string from the stable.

Paul Townend had chosen stablemate Bronn and while he briefly threatened, he eventually faded out of contention.

It was Gordon Elliott's Minella Crooner who stayed on best to take second from his stable companion Hollow Games, but they were two and three-quarter lengths behind the impressive winner, who was cut to 8-1 from 16s for the Albert Bartlett by Coral. Betfair were more impressed in going 6-1 from 20s.

Willie Mullins struck early at this year's #DublinRacingFestival with Minella Cocooner at 11-1 taking the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle under Danny Mullins @LeopardstownRC #rteracing pic.twitter.com/f5RiOCRs3m

It was two from two for Mullins as Vauban paid a handsome compliment to Pied Piper with a smooth success in the Racing TV Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Beaten on his only previous start by Gordon Elliott's Pied Piper, who has subsequently bolted up at Cheltenham, this time Elliott took him on with Fil Dor.

Fil Dor had done nothing wrong over