Billaway wins his first race of the season when coming out on top in the Naas Hunter Chase in the hands of Patrick Mullins.
Sent off at 9/2, the eight-year-old was patiently ridden by Mullins where he bided his time throughout the early stages of the three-mile contest.
However Mullins delivered his father’s charge after jumping the second-last fence, and from that point he found plenty for pressure to fend off the wall of challengers approaching the penultimate fence.
The son of Well Chosen came away from the fence in front and stayed on gamely in the closing stages to beat Enda Bolgers Stalker Wallace, who was re-appearing after a three-year lay off by eight lengths.
Billaway was last seen winning at the Downpatrick Hunter Chase in March and in the contest today at Naas he vindicated the promise of his second place effort on his seasonal debut in the Down Royal Hunters Chase when Dylrow beat him by only one-length.
“He’s booked his ticket and is still a young horse. He looks a Foxhunters type and that’s what we bought him for,” said winning trainer Mullins to Irishracing.com after the race.
