● BLUE LORD

came from last to first to deny his stablemate Tornado Flyer and provide Willie Mullins with a seventh victory in the Clonmel Oil Chase yesterday.

Champagne Fever (2014), Kemboy (2018) and Douvan (2019) are among the trainer’s previous winners of the Grade Two feature and he saddled two of the four runners this time around.

Blue Lord, whose only defeat in five starts over fences last season came when third in the Arkle, was the 5-6 favourite.

Last year’s shock King George VI Chase hero Tornado Flyer was ridden aggressively from the front but Paul Townend produced Blue Lord with a well-timed challenge to grab the lead on the approach to the last and he won bya neck.

● Paddy Power cut Blue Lord to 14-1 from 16-1 for the Ryanair Chase and Tornado Flyer to 6-1 from 7-1 to defend his King George crown.