Robbie Power enjoyed yet another big winner when driving Fox Norton home in the BoyleSports Champion Chase on the first day of the Punchestown Festival.
Odds-on favourite Un De Sceaux took it up at the fifth fence but didn't go clear and there were several challengers on his heels turning for home.
Chief among those was Colin Tizzard's Fox Norton (5-2), who loomed alongside Un De Sceaux at the final obstacle and found more after it to claim the feature by a length and three-quarters, with last year's winner God's Own a close-up third.
All eyes were on Supreme hero Labaik at the start of the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle but, not for the first time, he showed the darker side to his nature and refused to jump off with the rest.
That should have made the task of Willie Mullins' favourite Melon easier but he was hassled for the lead by Pingshou and after finally seeing off that one, he had no answer when his stablemate Cilaos Emery (8-1) challenged and went down by a length.
The third Grade One on the card, the Growise Champion Novice Chase, went the way of 13-8 favourite Disko
Noel Meade's grey was always prominent and had the gears to quicken away over the last two to dispose of Anibale Fly by five lengths.
Robert Tyner landed the Goffs Land Rover Bumper for the second successive year with Vision Des Flos
The 12-1 shot showed a cracking attitude to get the better of a thrilling tussle with Hollowgraphic by a neck, following up the victory of Tyner's Coeur De Lion in 2016.< Western Boy (14-1) hadn't been seen in jumping action since slipping up in the Killashee Handicap Hurdle 12 months ago, but returned with a bang to make amends in the very same race.
Jamie Codd got 6-4 favourite Enniskillen home in the Kildare Hunt Club Fr Sean Breen Memorial Chase For The Ladies Perpetual Cup, while Roaring Bull took the Dooley Insurances Flat Race.
