David Casey produced An Cathaoir Mor with a perfectly timed hold up ride to grab Grade 1 glory in the Arkle Chase at Leopardstown today.
The leaders in the 2m1f contest cut out a furious pace and 2/1 favourite Sportsline moved along side Take The Breeze and Major Finnegan three from home.
It looked between the trio two from home and it was Sports Line who led going to the last.
Henry de Bromhead's charge had crept closer turning for home, however, and pounced on the run-in to record a length-and-a-quarter victory.
"He gave him some ride. I'm delighted. David was brilliant on him," said de Bromhead.
"I was taking a bit of a chance running him back after a week but as I said last Sunday he's the one horse that it's possible to do it with as he's so tough.
"He has to come late although when he was 20 lengths off them down the back I wasn't so sure.
"He's a horse that travels so easily but he was struggling early on and David said if he was struggling they had to be going some pace.
"When he won his bumper they went very fast and fell away and he's never really had a strongly run race.
"David said from the turn-in he thought he was a certainty."
The winner will get entries for Cheltenham but de Bromhead said: "Whether he's a Cheltenham horse I don't know.
"He loves heavy ground and testing conditions are the key to him. He's such a heavy topped horse."
The winning trainer also had news of stable star Sizing Europe: "He's great - in good form. He had a lovely break and is really well."
Willie Mullins was pleased with the effort of runner-up Sports Line: "I was delighted with him.
"For his second run to gallop and jump at that speed around Leopardstown was a good performance."
Denis O'Regan, who suffered a third fence fall from Zaarito was taken to hospital with a suspected broken collarbone.
