Bishops scoops Clonmel pot

Bishopsfurze survived poor jumps at the final two flights to hold his stablemate Skorcher in the Surehaul Mercedes-Benz Novice Hurdle at Clonmel.

The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old (9-10 favourite) was always travelling easily for Paul Townend and cruised into the lead at the fourth-last.

The race looked over bar the shouting until he gave his rivals some hope when blundering the penultimate obstacle, but he could even afford the luxury of flattening the last as he outclassed the opposition.

Despite those errors through lack of concentration, he hosed up by seven lengths to earn consideration for the Cheltenham Festival where he holds entries in three novice hurdles.

Mullins said: "I thought he was gone at the second-last and he was lucky to stand up.

“Paul said he was idling in front. He said he travelled so well he had to go to the front. He showed today that he has a real engine.

“I was also delighted with the other horse (Skorcher) and he’ll go for something similar with him.”