Mister Policeman ensured Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Willie Mullins and Paul Townend kept the bandwagon rolling with Grade Three glory in the Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase at Thurles.

The six-year-old was a winner in France before joining Mullins and he made a winning start for the yard when beating stablemate Cash Back in a Cork hurdle last April.

Switched to fences subsequently, Mister Policeman was an odds-on winner at Fairyhouse in November but let down his supporters when well held in third by Quilixios at Navan on his next start.

A six-length win at Punchestown bolstered his confidence according to jockey Paul Townend, who settled his mount in second before making his challenge with four fences to jump in his latest assignment.

The 30-100 favourite was clearly travelling best of all coming to the last and he kept on well to record a length-and-a-half victory over Thecompanysergeant.

Townend said: “He jumped fantastic for a horse that his jumping probably let him down in the past. He loved jumping and is probably getting the hang of it.

“I still think he can go out in trip, but the way he’s jumping now is getting him through. He got a lot of confidence from the last day and he’s built on that again today.

“Hopefully he can keep building, but he has a bit to go to fulfil what he was supposed to be.”

Mister Policeman was the only runner in Ireland for the Mullins-Townend team the day after another fruitful Cheltenham Festival.

Galopin Des Champs provided a perfect finale in winning the Gold Cup for a second successive year, impressing Townend with his cosy three-and-a-half-length verdict.

He said: “He won in a different way (than the previous year) and he dug in so much. We got racing at the top of the hill and on heavy ground it’s a long way home.

“They are really, really good when they can do that.”

Townend finished the week at top jockey with six winners, although he rode a couple of beaten favourites, most notably El Fabiolo who relinquished his unbeaten record in the Champion Chase.

Sent off the 2-9 favourite, El Fabiolo made a bad mistake at the fifth fence and was soon pulled up by Townend.

He added: “It was an amazing week. Obviously El Fabiolo was disappointing.

“There were a few disappointments, he was the main one, but outside that everything went great through the week.”

Mister Policeman looked to get his career back on track with victory in the Concept Colours Rated Novice Chase at Punchestown.

The Willie Mullins-trained chestnut was purchased by Rich Ricci after hurdles success in France as a four-year-old and got off the mark for new connections at the first time of asking.

His first Irish run was in a two-mile Cork hurdle last April, a race he won comfortably before graduating to fences at the start of this term.

His first attempt at Fairyhouse in November was a success and the gelding then headed to Naas in January and started as the favourite in a two-mile novice.

He was comprehensively beaten on that occasion as Quilixios came home in front with Sa Fureur behind him and Mister Policeman over eight lengths away from the winner in third.

At Punchestown the five-year-old looked to make amends for a sticky round of jumping last time and under Paul Townend he was much improved, travelling well as the 1-2 favourite in a field of five.

Rounding the final bend he was galloping along comfortably and was able to produce a neat jump at the last to pull away to a six-length victory.

Mullins said of the success: “He’s still learning to jump and he’ll probably be better going out in trip at some stage, but this race fitted nicely into his schedule. It will leave him nicely set up for the spring.

“I’d imagine he’ll stay at home and there are plenty of good races to be won. He could go for a novice handicap.”

Rachael Blackmore coaxed home Senior Chief to take the QuinnBet Beginners Chase over two miles and seven furlongs.

The 2-9 favourite had placed in two runs over fences so far and seemed to require a little persuasion throughout the race but scraped home to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

“Rachael said once she turned in she knew it was OK but I’m not so sure,” winning trainer Henry De Bromhead said.

“He’s done little wrong in fairness to him, and the handicapper might reassess him from a mark of 142.

“He looked laboured and Rachael said it’s tough old ground. We’ll look for a handicap now and see where we go from there.

“I’m delighted for the lads (Lucky In Life Syndicate) who are great supporters and a lot of them work at Regeneron in Limerick.”

Mister Policeman made a winning chase debut for Willie Mullins at Fairyhouse – but was made to work all the way to the line by lesser-fancied stablemate Feu Du Bresil.

Something of a talking horse at Mullins’ recent open morning, the Rich and Susannah Ricci-owned five-year-old had some decent types behind him when winning at Cork in April.

Sent off at 4-9 under Paul Townend for the Irish National Hunt Chase CLG Beginners Chase with Danny Mullins on Feu Du Bresil, the latter jumped better on the way round and held an advantage after the final fence.

It was to the favourite’s credit that he knuckled down and eventually got up to win by three-quarters of a length, although his Arkle odds with Paddy Power were lengthened to 12-1 from 8s.

“It was messy, we went very slow, he missed the second-last and Danny got away on me,” said Townend.

“I liked that when I gave him a flick at the back of the last that I was back on top and it was snug by the time I got to the line.

“His jumping can sharpen up and I’d say a faster pace will help his jumping.”

He added: “He probably rides a bit bigger than he looks. I thought going along we were only in schooling mode for the majority of the race. He’d be better at a faster pace when let jump.

“The runner-up ran to a good level in Punchestown and he’s unexposed. He’s improving away the whole time and I’d say he’s growing into himself. He’s a nice yardstick, but you’d be hoping to beat him at the same time.”

Gordon Elliott’s Better Days Ahead (2-9 favourite) atoned for a recent fall at Down Royal when barely coming out of a canter in the Sign Up To GavinLynchRacing.com Maiden Hurdle.

“Jack (Kennedy) said he would have done more at home and it was a nice school round for him,” said Elliott.

“It was a nice confidence booster after falling the last day. He jumped great there today.

“He’ll have to head for one of those good novice hurdles now, whether it’s this side of Christmas or not, I don’t know.

“Three miles won’t bother him or he could go back to Navan in a few weeks’ time for one of those novice hurdles there because he didn’t have a hard race there.

“He probably likes a bit of soft ground, the way he handled it there. Jack said when he gave him a squeeze after the second-last he picked up very quickly.”