Impaire Et Passe (5-2) powered to victory in the opener on the second day of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (Registered As The Baring Bingham).
The five-year-old made it three wins from three starts over hurdles since switching to Mullins' County Carlow stable from France and brought home a one-two-three for the Irish champion trainer in the Grade One contest. Under Paul Townend, Impaire Et Passe had a superb passage throughout just sitting off the lead set by stable-mate Champ Kiely (13-2) and the well-backed Hermes Allen, who was sent off the 9-4 favourite.
But as Hermes Allen began to drop away coming to the final two flights, Impaire Et Passe moved through on the inside and quickly went clear before coming home six-and-a-half lengths ahead of his staying-on stable-mate Gaelic Warrior (9-2), with Champ Kiely a further length back in third.
