Robbie Hennessy achieved the remarkable feat of landing a Grade One with his very first winner when Sublimity took the Leopardstown Golf Centre December Festival Hurdle.
The 2007 Champion Hurdle hero cruised up to tackle Brave Inca after Hardy Eustace cried enough three out, but Sizing Europe was travelling just as well upsides.
The latter found nothing when asked for his effort, however, whereas Sublimity (3-1) responded well to Philip Carberry's urgings to hold of Won In The Dark by half a length, with Brave Inca third.< Give It Time showed her appreciation for a drop in class by digging deep to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Hurdle.
The 3-1 shot had placed behind Shakervilz and Catch Me the last twice and sent on rounding the turn by Mark Bolger, she held the wayward challenge of Aura About You by two lengths.< Back On The Road ran out a fortunate winner of the Centra Central Park Beginners Chase.
Willie Mullins' Deutschland seemingly had the race at his mercy at the last but, for the second start running, he hit the deck, while closest pursuer Askthemaster suffered a similar fate.
That left 33-1 outsider Back On The Road to come through to beat Horner Woods by a neck, with former high-class hurdler Travino an encouraging third on his return from a long absence.
Mullins was also out of luck when Candy Girl had to settle for second in the Leopardstown Golf Academy Hurdle.< Dancing Tornado (11-4) was crowded for room when jumping the last but David Casey switched him to the inside and with cheekpieces applied for the first time, he quickened well to beat Candy Girl by a length and three-quarters.
Noel Meade's Cleni Boy (4-1) got favourite-backers off to a good start when catching Fond Of A Drop on the run-in in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase, while stablemate Corskeagh Royale (7-4 favourite) got off the mark over timber in the Business & Maiden Hurdle.
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