< Quel Esprit justified strong market support down to 5-4 favouritism with a commanding success in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
Ruby Walsh controlled the Grade One contest from the front and the grey jumped well all the way round, looking the likely winner as they made the turn for home.< China Rock threatened briefly before fading and it was left to Roberto Goldback to pose the biggest danger, but Quel Esprit held him at bay by two lengths to give Willie Mullins an eighth success in the race.
The smart Last Instalment (8-11 favourite) did all that was asked of him as he maintained his unbeaten record over fences in the Grade One Dr PJ Moriarty Novice Chase.
Davy Russell set off in front on Philip Fenton's charge, who jumped impeccably and had plenty in the tank when called on to resist Call The Police scoring by a length and a half.
Rank outsider Benefficient punctured some big reputations with a shock all-the-way victory in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle in the hands of Bryan Cooper, who was landing his first Grade One success.
Pulled up on his last run, Tony Martin's six-year-old went off at 50-1 and showed no sign of stopping, holding on as favourite Sous Les Cieux made steady progress from the rear to finish a length and a quarter behind.
The Dermot Weld-trained Hisaabaat (15-2) wore blinkers for the first time over jumps and ended a run of three seconds with an improved performance in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle.
Andrew Lynch delivered him between the final two flights and Hisaabaat put in a faster jump at the last than leader Shadow Catcher before running on strongly to take the Grade One event by a length and a half.
Ruby Walsh led at the last on Willie Mullins' Catleen (7-2 favourite) to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Handicap Hurdle by a length and three-quarters, and Pat Kennedy pounced late to take the paddypower.com iPhone App Handicap Hurdle on John McConnell's Dul Ar An Ol (12-1) by half a length.
