Sky To Sea belied his position as 16/1 outsider by landing the featured Guinness Handicap Hurdle on another rainy afternoon at the Listowel Festival.
Hurricane Alley set a good pace in this two miler but was headed at the penultimate flight by the Dick Donohoe-trained Sky To Sea and The Last Hurrah.
The pair soon drew clear with Denis Hogan's mount finding that bit extra to score by 3 1/2L, with a ten lengths gap back to Jawad in third.
'He won on heavy ground at the Curragh as a young horse and has been in great form recently,' said Donohoe, who only took over training of the grey gelding 'about three months ago'.
'I was hoping he'd come on from his win at Kilbeggan and he could go novice hurdling now. He has loads of options,' added Donohoe.
One Cool Cookie made a good impression when switched to fences in the 2m6f beginners chase, a race that should throw up a few winners in the coming months.
David Casey's mount jumped well from the front and, after Sir Frederick loomed alongside after three out, the expensively bought Old Vic gelding stayed on really well to deny his market rival by 3 1/2L.
'He jumped big and deliberate over hurdles and we always thought he was going to make a better chaser, although I was worried about his fitness today,' said trainer Charlie Swan.
'We will find a novice for him now and he'll love three miles. He's a nice horse to look forward to,' added Swan.
'I'm over the moon,' beamed former amateur rider Karl Wyse after saddling his first winner as a trainer when Amalfitano justified good support in the 2m4f maiden hurdle.
Barry Geraghty sent the 2/1 favourite on four out and, despite a slight mistake at the last, had plenty in reserve in beating the staying on Royal Heritage by two lengths.
There were jackpot units running onto four horses in this race but surprisingly none on the winner, and a pool of e15,111 is carried forward to day five of the Festival tomorrow.
Davy Russell was seen to great effect aboard Mouftari in the three miles handicap hurdle, delivering his challenge on the 3/1 favourite with perfect timing on the run-in to beat Sonne Cinq by 1/2L.
On the Flat section of the card, Chivalrous finally opened his account after a sequence of placed efforts when making all under Keiren Fallon in the seven furlongs juvenile maiden.
The 1/2 (from 4/6) favourite appeared to handle the testing ground well and galloped on strongly in the straight to beat newcomer Dusty Trail by two and a half lengths.
There was a terrific finish to the mile juvenile maiden with clear championship leader Declan McDonogh on Right Or Wrong getting the better of his nearest rival Pat Smullen.
Smullen briefly gained a slight advantage aboard Vision Of Grandeur inside the final furlong but Right Or Wrong battled back bravely on the far rail under a determined drive to just get the call.
Carlowsantana was another to relish the heavy ground, stepping up on previous form when always prominent under Seamus Heffernan and holding off the challenge of Storm Averted by 3/4L.
Bluebyyou (Pauline Ryan) completed the notable feat of three bumper wins by getting the better of a sprint in the straight against Conor's Secret, and could run again here on Sunday.
Alan Magee
