Indiana Jones (Darragh O'Keeffe) leads over the last © Photo Healy Racing
It looked long odds-on that Willie Mullins would take the PS Supplies Doors & Floors Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan with the champion trainer holding a strong hand in Flame Bearer and Ha D’or after the field was reduced to just four runners in the absence of Hollow Games with a temperature.
However, Mouse Morris had other ideas with the experienced Indiana Jones and the Robcour-owned gelding proved strongest on the run-in.
The 4/6 favourite Flame Bearer tracked stablemate Ha D’or (2/1) but the odds-on shot was far from fluent and Paul Townend accepted defeat after the penultimate fence.
Indiana Jones took a slight advantage over Ha D’or just before the last and the 15/2 shot was driven out by Darragh O’Keeffe to assert in the closing stages for a two lengths victory.
Flame Bearer was ten lengths further back in third.
Morris said, "He's a huge horse. I'm not sure where he goes now, the race at Thurles (Grade 3 Pierce Molony Memorial Novice Chase) would be an option and is probably more than likely where he'll go.
“He took some pearlers of falls last season and 'Puppy' (Robbie Power) did a great job with him, he went up to his for a while. The girls in the yard also did a lot of ground work at home with him.
“It's an unbelievable family and there are still two young ones running around.
“It was hard to work out Mullins' horses today as they ran so bad the last day. I thought if they mightn't be on song we might have a squeak.
“I know we had a bit to find on ratings but a graded race is a graded race and it was a nice pot.”
O'Keeffe was completing a 75/1 double having also partnered Grappa Nonino to land the opening maiden hurdle.
Quotes by Gary Carson
