Albion owner Tony Bloom's horse Penhill struck for the second year running at the Cheltenham Festival when springing a 12-1 surprise for trainer Willie Mullins in the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle today.

Successful in the Albert Bartlett in 2017, Penhill had been absent for 323 days but shrugged off his race-rustiness to give Mullins his sixth winner of the week.

Ridden by Paul Townend, Penhill carried the colours of Seagulls chairman Bloom home by two lengths from Supasundae, following a scrap up the hill.

Wholestone stayed on strongly for third.

Townend said: "He's got a massive engine. It was some training performance. I got there too soon and luckily he kept going.

"He jumped rusty enough early on but when I needed him at the last he produced."

Mullins said: "It's fantastic for connections. I want to put him away now for Cheltenham next year.

"He's not suited to training to the Flat and he's able to do this job so well."