Favourite backers were counting their money as Bryan Cooper stole a look over his shoulder at the home bend on Count Salazar (9/4) who was clear in the three mile one handicap chase.

However, it soon transpired that the look wasn’t one of confidence as his mount’s stride started to shorten markedly after the last.

He was collared first by Captain Luke (12/1) who was then nabbed by a neck right on the line by Prince Of Forwards (16/1) and Tim Carroll on the outside.

Pat Hughes trained Prince Of Forwards to win this Sean Hughes Memorial Mullingar Park Hotel Handicap Chase and he commented: “I trained Cache Creek for Sean Hughes and that’s why I had a runner in the race.

“This horse is the biggest rogue I know! But yet he seems to win a race every year.”

Irish Grand National hero Liberty Counsel won this race last year and when asked if Prince Of Forwards would go the same route Hughes replied: “Sure you never know!”

Winning jockey Tim Carroll said: “That was very unexpected. I kept changing my hands on him and it worked well. At the third last I thought I was well beaten, but he just took off.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee