Sutton Place (inside) and Royal Caviar both blunder at the last© Photo Healy Racing
Sutton Place made it three wins in-a-row as took the Grade 2 Rathbarry & Glenview Studs Novice Hurdle, providing Barry Geraghty and JP McManus with a quick double on the card.
Third on his debut at in a maiden hurdle at Navan in December, the son of Mahler then won a bumper at Fairyhouse before taking a Listed contest over flights at Naas.
Sent off the 13/8 favourite today (from 9/4 last night and from 2's on-course) he was settled in mid-division.
He was pushed along to take closer order from before the third last and came with his challenge on the outer before the next.
He hit the front on the approach to the last but was soon challenged by Royal Caviar
A mistake there handed the initiative to Royal Caviar (made a lesser mistake) and he took over in front before Sutton Place battled back well in the closing stages, getting up to score by half a length.
Royal Caviar (8's to 7's on-course) had to settle for second under Ruby Walsh for Willie Mullins, while Moon Over Germany (10/3) was a further ten lengths back in third under Davy Russell for Eddie Harty.
Gordon Elliott trains the winner and he said afterwards: "He's a nice horse. He was very green and I'd imagine that will probably be him for the year. He'll be a nice horse with a summers grass.
"He did everything to get beat. Barry said it was a faster gallop than the last day and he's still a baby and very green. He kicked a few hurdles out of the ground.
"To come back and win after that mistake at the last - I'd say he's a nice horse.
"I'd imagine he'll go chasing next year."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
