Impaire Et Passe takes Champion Novice Hurdle prize at the Punchestown Festival

Impaire Et Passe showed a neat turn of foot and powered to victory in the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle for jockey Paul Townend and trainer Willie Mullins.

The five-year-old ran well within himself and Townend rode the Cheltenham's Ballymore winner with supreme poise.

Send off a 1-3 favourite against just four rivals, he sat third throughout much of the extended two miles and three furlongs of the Grade One contest.

Though Impaire Et Passe made a novicey mistake six out, which saw him with plenty of ground to make up, Townend appeared to ooze confidence as stablemate Champ Kiely and the Joseph O'Brien-trained High Definition set the pace.

There was still plenty to do approaching two out and for a brief moment, High Definition and JJ Slevin looked set to cause a shock.

But Townend had plenty up his sleeve and the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned gelding soon cruised upsides and went to the front on the bridle after being given a reminder that this was not simply a piece of work.

Jumping clear at the last, he stormed home to record a seven-and-a-half length success, with High Definition hanging on for second, despite stumbling when hitting the running rail after jumping the last. Mullins was far from happy with the performance, however.

Impaire Et Passe completes the Cheltenham-Punchestown double for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in the Alanna Homes Champion Novices' Hurdle #rteracing #Punchestown | Live on @RTE2 and @RTEplayer pic.twitter.com/uJahkTeiMl

He said: "He didn't impress me at all, I was delighted he won, but throughout the race he wasn't impressing me.

"He looked like he wasn't enjoying it and maybe Cheltenham took much more out of him than we thought. "At home he was on fire and maybe I did too much with him,