Native Upmanship advertised his prospects for the Tote Gold Cup at Cheltenham next March when just catching Florida Pearl in the closing strides of the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown this afternoon.
Trained locally by Arthur Moore, Native Upmanship responded well for regular partner Conor O`Dwyer to extend his winning sequence after a spirited duel with Florida Pearl from the final bend.
Marginally preferred at 9-10 over 5-4 chance Florida Pearl in the betting, Native Upmanship had a length to make up soon after the final fence but gradually wore down his higher-rated opponent to delight trainer Moore.
'I am thrilled with that performance and now we will look towards the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown. We will be gearing up for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham - why not after this run?' said Moore.
Florida Pearl travelled and jumped better than when disappointing behind Looks Like Trouble last month at Down Royal and his trainer Willie Mullins hadlittle hesitation in nominating the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day as the next race for his stable star.
'I am disappointed to get beaten, but happy the horse is back to himself and although we will leave it late, I think we will go for the King George rather than the Ericsson Chase,' said Mullins.
Mullins revealed that Alexander Banquet, who ran so well at Newbury in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup would represent him in the Ericsson Chase while stablemate Micko`s Dream, who finished a distant third behind the two main protagonists, could also take in that event.
The leading Irish bookmaking firms reacted rather differently to the outcome of the race, with Paddy Power content to leave Florida Pearl at 10-1 for the Gold Cup and trim Native Upmanship from 16-1 to 14-1.
Cashmans of Cork were sufficiently impressed by Florida Pearl`s improved effort to cut his Gold Cup odds in half to 6-1, initially quoting Native Upmanship at 14-1 (from 16-1) before laying the winner immediately and then only offering 10-1.
To Your Honour took the Hilly Way Chase half an hour later as an odds-on favourite, having given his supporters a fright when slow over the first few fences and then hanging to his left before eventually going clear of Space Trucker on the long run from the final fence.
To Your Honour, who will now go to Leopardstown for a similar event after Christmas, was completing a double for trainer Francis Flood after 8-1 chance Gardrun Park had taken the opening maiden hurdle.
