Beef Or Salmon consolidated his position as the main threat to Best Mate`s Gold Cup crown when landing the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup in front of a large crowd.
The Grade 1 event proved a near carbon copy of the Ericsson Chase here at the Christmas meeting, with Timmy Murphy again biding his time on the Michael Hourigan-trained gelding.
Florida Pearl dropped away tamely before the second last and was found to have a respiratory infection post-race, while the remaining four runners were virtually in a line at the final fence.
Beef Or Salmon jumped to the front at the final fence and again showed a fine turn of foot on the run-in to pull 4L clear of Colonel Braxton, with Harbour Pilot a neck back in third.
Bookmaker reaction saw a wholesale cut in price for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup, with Paddy Power going a best-priced 5/1.
Racegoers were denied a tremendous finish to the Dr P J Moriarty Novice Chase when Le Coudray fell heavily while upsides Barrow Drive at the final fence.
The odds-on favourite had jumped impeccably throughout, and opinions differed afterwards as to what the outcome might have been.
`Jim (Culloty) thought he was just getting the better of Le Coudray, but I must say I was not so sure,` said winning trainer Tony Mullins following his first Grade 1 jumping success.
`I have absolutely no worries about the 3m1f distance of the Royal & SunAlliance Chase (33/1 with Grahams). Stamina is this horse`s forte, and he goes straight to Cheltenham` said Mullins.
Solerina will accompany stablemate Limestone Lad to the Cotswolds after extending her winning sequence to six in the Deloitte And Touche Novice Hurdle.
James Bowe`s mare adopted her customary front-running tactics, and stayed on well under Paul Carberry to beat Hardy Eustace (Kieren Kelly 2 day ban for using whip with excessive frequency) by 2L.
`There is a possible race for her at Naas on February 23, and then the Royal & SunAlliance at Cheltenham. She gets on so well with Limestone Lad, so hopefully it will help him to settle in over there,` said John Bowe.
Race sponsors Cashmans gave a dismissive quote of 33/1 about any named Irish trained runner in the Triumph Hurdle after Mutineer gamely held off Golden Cross by a head in the juvenile hurdle.
However the form of this race has a solid look with the remainder well strung out behind, and Grahams cut Mutineer to 14/1 (from 25`s).
`He stays really well but will only go for the Triumph if there is some cut in the ground,` said trainer Dessie Hughes.
Sheltering booked his place in the line-up for the Christie`s Foxhunter Chase when making all under Gordon Elliott for a convincing 10L victory over Dorans Pride.
Alan Magee
