Allaho returned to winning ways when claiming victory in the Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase at Thurles for a third time.

The Willie Mullins-trained 10-year-old was successful in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade Two event in 2021 and 2022, but missed the entirity of last season through injury.

Having returned to action this term with a smooth triumph at Clonmel, he was beaten into third behind Hewick when favourite for the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

However, Allaho made all the running under Paul Townend to enjoy a straightforward 8-13 triumph here, seeing off stablemate Stattler by 13 lengths.

Assistant trainer Patrick Mullins said: “Allaho looked back to himself, having not quite got home in the King George.

“He isn’t getting any younger, it took him a while to warm up into his jumping (at Kempton) and he is better going left-handed.

“Paul was a little worried that he got a hard race in the King George and was coming back quite quickly but the further he went, the better he travelled and jumped.

“He is a big big horse who likes better ground and going left-handed at Cheltenham suits him down to the ground. I’d imagine it is all roads back to the Ryanair (Chase) now.

“Today’s race was a Grade One in all but name, with all being Grade One winners, so it is great for Thurles and it is a brilliant race to target every year.”

Allaho’s task was made all the more easier by the defection of Henry de Bromhead’s Envoi Allen and Capodanno.

Their absence left just four runners, with Appreciate It rated the main danger at 11-4 and 6-1 chance French Dynamite making up the numbers for Mouse Morris.

Allaho did all that was asked of him, though, travelling strongly throughout and only having to be nudged out to draw clear of 20-1 longshot Stattler up the home straight, with Appreciate It a further 11 lengths back in third.

Mullins added: “It is brilliant run out of Stattler, he had just started to sparkle in the last month, so it is great he is getting back to form. He had lost his form completely after the Gold Cup, so now we can aim big with him again.

“Danny (Mullins, on Appreciate It) said he had a good position, travelled great but once they quickened he found nothing. It is disappointing, as I thought he’d be challenging Allaho. He wears a tongue-strap, so maybe nicer ground will help him.”

Allaho was cut to 5-2 from 3-1 to win a third Ryanair Chase by both Betfair and Paddy Power, while Coral were even more impressed, promoting him to 2-1 favourite.