Willie Mullins unleashed yet another smart bumper prospect when Ballytrim won the thurlesraces.ie INH Flat Race at Thurles yesterday.

Mullins already has Shady Willow and Equus Maximus at the forefront of the betting for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, and now he has another one to add to the list.

Ridden confidently by Katie Walsh, sister of top jockey Ruby, the 9 to 10 favourite led throughout to win by 25 lengths from Corbetstown Duck.

Cashmans now make it just 2 to 1 that Mullins wins the race for an unprecedented sixth time.

The same firm clipped the Violet O'Leary-owned gelding into 7 to 1 from 10 to 1 for the Cheltenham race.

"That's a lot better than anything he has shown us at home," said Mullins.

"He keeps a fair bit for himself at home, but that is a good sign really. I prefer horses who do their talking on the track.

"Katie was delighted with him, she said she pressed the button turning in and he took off. He can go at that pace all day and we will go straight to Cheltenham with him now.

"Katie will definitely ride one of them at Cheltenham, but we will make plans nearer the time."

Eddie Ahern was in the saddle as Gerard Butler's Jack Sullivan repeated his win of 2005 in the Group Three Maktoum Challenge II, the feature race of the fourth night of the Dubai International Racing Carnival.

Always travelling well, the five-year-old was produced to challenge just over a furlong out and never looked likely to relinquish that advantage.