The 9-10 favourite had demonstrated an ufortunate tendency to jump out to his left last season but jumped "straight as a gun barrel" here, bar the second last, and Sheehy was very happy with him. The trainer said:

"I'll probably make an entry for him in the Jim Nicholson Champion Chase at Down Royal next month and take it from there. I'll have a chat with Ruby but today was the plan."

Claiming rider Mark Watts rode his first winner since taking a very bad fall at Punchestown last November when partnering The Last Stand to success in the David Flynn Construction Handicap Hurdle. The 12-1 shot is trained just 100 yards from the course by Tony Mullins who said, "A lot of people don't realise that Mark was nearly killed at Punchestown and he was on a life support machine for a week."

The trainer continued: "Hopefully that will give him confidence. His mind is a lot stronger than his body at the moment because he's only back riding properly three weeks and hopefully he'll ride a few winners now."

Alain Cawley was another jockey to make a successful return from injury when scoring on the Paul Nolantrained Square Ball in the Kilkenny Racing Festival Handicap Hurdle. The six-year-old was recording his second win at the venue and Nolan's brother and assistant James commented: "He wants good ground or quicker and the ground went against him in Listowel. We might bring him to Cheltenham in November if we get a bit of good ground."