On His Own leads the field over the second last with Road To Riches (maroon) in the centre © Photo Healy Racing
< Road To Riches capped a great day for Bryan Cooper in the Gigginstown House Stud colours as he landed a thrilling renewal of the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown.
Already the winner of the Galway Plate and the Champion Chase at Down Royal this year, the Noel Meade-trained seven-year-old proved himself to be a top-class stayer as he came out best in a battle up the straight which featured several challengers.
Road To Riches (4-1) raced in the front two for a long way and though he seemed to have lost his pitch entering the closing stages, he produced more when it mattered to beat On His Own by a length and a half, with Sam Winner in third.
Cooper was completing a treble, having picked up the other Grade One prize when the Sandra Hughes-trained Lieutenant Colonel repeated his Hatton's Grace victory over Jetson in the Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle.
It was much closer this time, though, and the jockey had to pull out all the stops on the five-year-old (4-1) as he got the better of the long-time leader by three-quarters of a length after the pair pulled clear rounding the turn into the straight.
Cooper also scored when Henry de Bromhead's bumper winner Identity Thief (7-4) made a good start to his jumps career in the At The Races Maiden Hurdle, duelling with market rival Snow Falcon up the straight but always going best and winning by half a length.
Liz Doyle's 7-4 favourite Le Vent D'Antan dismissed a useful field in the Ballymaloe Original Country Relish Beginners Chase, jumping well and easing clear of Balbir Du Mathan passing the omitted final fence to win by eight lengths under Davy Russell.
Shark Hanlon 's chaser Usuel Smurfer (20-1) took advantage of his lower mark over the smaller obstacles to land the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle under Adrian Heskin, forging two and a quarter lengths ahead of Off The Charts after the pair pulled away.
Ruby Walsh charged late on Tony Martin's 4-1 favourite Shemshal to collar Mr Diablo on the run-in and land the Irish Daily Star Christmas Novice Handicap Hurdle by
