As a 20/1 shot he might not have had everyone smiling but the heart-stopping protracted duel between the hero of the hour, Silent Oscar and favourite, Macs Joy, was something to savour.

ACCBank will doubtless be overjoyed to get a finish befitting of their E200,000 Champion Hurdle. For Silent Oscar's jockey, Robbie Power, things just get better, as his 8yo partner came out on top by a neck.

Power had that never to be forgotten day on Silver Birch at Aintree on April 14th. Here he was teaming up with another trainer to land their biggest success, this one being for Co. Louth's Harry Rogers.

Hardy Eustace set the pace until headed by the winner, cantering at the time, after 4 out. He was tackled by Macs Joy from before 2 out and from there on it was toe to toe and difficult to predict an outcome.

Silent Oscar pulled out that bit extra close home, with 8L back to Hardy Eustace, Harchibald and Iktitaf looking pale imitations of themselves back in fifth and sixth.

Rogers commented, 'that is a nice surprise though it was always the plan to come here. Robbie walked the track yesterday and said the ground was perfect.

'We were just hoping to get some prize money but it has worked out well. The ground was too quick for him at Fairyhouse and it was too soft for him for much of the winter - this was just right.

'If the ground was good he could go for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.' Always a very smart sort, Patrick Convery, a Northerner, owns Silent Oscar, and he formerly had him in training with Christy Donoghue.

Willie Mullins gave all the credit to Ruby Walsh after Alexander Taipan had prevailed by a neck over Anothercoppercoast in a driving finish to the betfair.com Novice H'cap Chase.

He said, 'He (the horse) wasn't any help to him (Ruby) at any stage between his middling jumping and not wanting to partake.

'I thought he was good enough to be a Grade 1 horse. He will be put away now and I am not sure exactly how far up the ladder he can go.' Six lengths back in third was Washington Lad (20s morning into 10/1).

Leading trainer and jockey at the Festival, Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh doubled-up in the Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle with Glencove Marina.

The outcome of this was still in the balance but favouring the eventual winner, who had a slight advantage at the time, when the joint market-leader Catch Me fell at the final flight.

That left last year's Land Rover Bumper winner to come home 5L to the good over Kalderon. John Brennan's horse served notice of a big performance like this at Fairyhouse last time.

Willie Mullins said, 'he showed that potential in Fairyhouse and he just had to jump better here. He is improving having only come right later in the year.

'He will probably be put away now and go novice chasing next year. I think he has the speed for two miles and he could be an Arkle horse.

'I couldn't believe how well he ran at Fairyhouse last time and that told me that we could have a serious horse and I think we have.'

Darby Wall may have been the shortest price of Enda Bolger's trio in the opener over the banks but with that 11/4 favourite bursting a blood vessel and Abram's Bridge running poorly his chances were diminished.

However Nina Carberry and Lonesome Day (a maiden before today) were not found wanting. Bolger's Dublin-owned 7/1(from 8s) chance, led at the last and kept on well to beat Glenduff Bridge by 1 1/4L.

Nina Carberry was on her Dad, Tommy's Penny Hall (12s in the morning into 6/1 fav) in the following Conyngham Cup and she collected the each-way money for her backers in fourth.

Tommy Carberry also had Kings Glen in the twenty one strong field and this 33/1 shot caused a surprised in the Bobbyjo silks of Mountbellew, Co. Galway-owner, Robert Burke.

With the talented Andrew Duff in the plate, the now 5-time victorious 11yo returned to form to land the biggest success of his career, staying on strongly on the run-in to beat Petertheknot by a head.

Kings Glen had something in common with Lonesome Day, winner of the first, in that they both pulled up on terrible ground on their previous run in the Ulster National behind News Item back in February.

Conor's Secret was the subject of a big plunge (4/1 in the morning into 13/8 favourite) in the Bewleys Hotels & EBF National Hunt Fillies Premier Bumper.

However she could do no better than third. Tom Hogan (he had a winner with Sonnyanjoe on Thursday), gave his son, Andrew the leg-up on Native Royal and she provided them with a very pleasing result.

This chestnut is obviously more than smart, winning by a comprehensive 5L. Hogan also trained her winning dam, Native Sound and this mare herself cost E3,400 as a three-year-old.

Moscow Flyer provided the result everyone wanted in the concluding 18th Running Of The Diageo Ireland Punchestown Charity Sweepstakes. He was steered by Kate Harrington, daughter of trainer, Jessica.

The 4/1 joint favourites, Sizing Europe and Big Zeb were first and second in the novice hurdle. The former prevailed by 3 1/2L under Denis O'Regan for Henry De Bromhead.

Today's attendance was 32,883, up 12.4 per cent on the 2006 figure of 29,254. The total attendance at the four-day Festival has been 90,868.