Richard Johnson rode his third winner at the Punchestown Festival when outsider Spirit Of Adjisa gave the bookmakers a 'screamer' in the Grade 1 Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle.
The Invincible Spirit gelding, on his third start for Tim Vaughan, made the running but the game looked to be up for him when he was headed by Prima Vista before the last. However the seven-year-old pinged that obstacle and fought back tenaciously to prevail by a short-head.
Cheltenham winner First Lieutenant finished third after not always being fluent in his jumping whilst favourite So Young dropped to the rear before the straight and was beaten from that point.
Johnson, earlier successful at the Festival on Captain Chris and Wishfull Thinking said: "I thought he had a chance of getting some decent prize-money. He was a fresh horse coming here, he kept finding, he's improving and there's more to come.
"He is very very honest."
Winning trainer Tim Vaughan, on the back of this year's Scottish National success with Beshabar and his Grade 1 Aintree scorer Saint Are, said: "This has been unreal. The owners have been very supportive.
"Richard (Johnson) is very instrumental in our whole operation. He told us not to go to Cheltenham with this fellow as the hustle and bustle wouldn't suit him. He will go on the flat in the summer now.
"He had good placed form last season but he had niggly problems that made up our mind to wait for here. He has a big engine and I was delighted to see the small field as he likes to dominate. He wants three miles."
Spirit Of Adjisa was bred by the late Charles J Haughey, his daughter Eimear Mulhern and J Flynn.
