Refinement completed a clean-sweep of the Grade 1s for the visitors but the Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Champion Stayers' Hurdle will be remembered for the wrong reasons.
The brilliant Mighty Man (5/4 fav), set off with the intention of making all under Richard Johnson, but he ran off the turn out of the back straight and was pulled up injured after three out.
That threw things wide open as Brave Inca ran well below-par on his first try at three miles, in trouble five out and having no chance from before three out.
Refinement headed Powerstation early on the run-in and the 16/1 mare went away to win by 2 1/2L for Jonjo O'Neill and Tony McCoy.
Heroine of the 2005 Champion Bumper here under Alan Berry, Frank's son, this Michael Tabor-owned and bred 8yo daughter of Oscar had been intended as paddocks bound after this.
However maybe not now. The aforementioned Frank Berry, representing the absent successful connections said, 'there might be a rethink about her going to stud now after that.'
Another of the fairer sex to show the benefit of a bit of sun on her back was American Jennie, who gained the big win she so richly deserved in the Grade B Barrack Homes Pat Taaffe H'cap Chase.
Joint top-weight after fourth and third placings in the last two renewals of the Irish Grand National, the 9yo defied her eleven stone seven burden by the minimum margin.
Niall Slippers' Madden drove her to victory over the well-backed, Noir Et Vert. A delighted winning-handler, Mick Cullen suggested that his charge will be back next term after a break now.
It was what so many of those in attendance at Punchestown wanted and not one for disappointing too often, Spot Thedifference delivered Enda Bolger his tenth La Touche Cup in succession.
For anyone not used to watching these marathon 4m 2f contests unfolding, the fairytale didn't look likely for much of the journey, but Spot Thedifference is well-used to silencing doubters.
Conor O'Dwyer on Moyglass (belonging to the winning connections) set a good gallop, indeed the winning time of 9 minutes 15.6 compared favourably to the 2006 clock stop of 9 minutes 32.5.
Bolger even suggested that he thought Moyglass would stay going for a while, but that the distance of four miles two and the persistence of the obstacles can sort things out fairly quickly.
The 14yo, now a 13-time winner, made his way into contention under pressure at the 17th, he was left 2nd after Moyglass was carried wide after 7 out and he was always going to be hard to beat from there home.
Taking over from Star Performance four out, he was pressed again by that one from two out but the wily old performer drew clear under J T McNamara from the last to score by 4 1/2L.
Freneys Well made it a one two for J P McManus and Enda Bolger, staying on into second with Nina Carberry up. Bolger described her as 'a great sub to have.'
He went on, 'Spot got an exceptional ride from JT and I am just lucky to have a horse that loves being in training and lucky too to have JP there backing me.'
Gamble here, Wonderkid (at least 7/2 in the morning into a returned 9/4) was in touch when pulling up injured after seven out.
Nicky Henderson paid tribute to his 'brave little 4yo,' Punjabi, who did what Cheltenham and Aintree form suggested by capturing the Grade 1 Ballymore Properties Champion 4yo Hurdle.
In front a little earlier than he wanted to be according to his trainer, the 6/4 favourite had to battle for Mick Fitzgerald to overcome Financial Reward by three parts of a length.
'You have got to be tough to go to the three Festivals and even though I don't think he was at his best there, his jumping and his attitude won it for him,' commented Henderson.
There wasn't anyone begrudging Ferdy Murphy and Graham Lee their success in the Grade 1 Swordlestown Cup Novice Chase with Another Promise.
Of course the pair combined with Tuesday's last fence faller, Aces Four. That probable winner of the Ellier Developments Champion Novice Chase was reported to be getting over his terrible tumble.
This two miler was not without incident either. Gemini Lucy, head of the market, unseated Andrew Leigh at the first. Schindlers Hunt and Blueberry Boy also had problems with the fences.
Blueberry Boy was close up when falling four from home and Schindlers Hunt was almost on terms when making a dreadful hash of two out, where the winner was in front before.
The 5/1 shot, in the famous Geoff Hubbard Strong Promise silks, stayed on well from the last to repel his fellow British-raider, Royal Shakespeare by 3 1/2L.
Michael Halford is not a trainer one would associate with the KFM Hunters Chase for the Bishopscourt Cup and he acknowledged as much afterwards, saying, 'I may ask Enda Bolger what to do with him now.'
He had just witnessed a stylish display of jumping and galloping from his Lord Killucan (7/4 into 11/10) under Robbie McNamara, coasting home by 5 1/2L.
The son of Bob Back was repeating the performance he put up at Stradbally point-to-point eleven days ago. He had shown little in a couple of bumpers, including in the 2006 Goffs Land Rover Bumper here.
Halford explained, 'he was very green in his bumpers but jumping seems to have brought out the best in him. He stays well too, so there was no point in doing anything else but going off in front.'
The other two races went to Sonnyanjoe for Tom Hogan and Noel Fehily and the bumper to Meadow Vale, who got there late to deny the gallant front-runner, Arctic Tour.
