Last season's Cheltenham Foxhunters Chase winner Salsify got back to winning ways when taking his revenge on Tammys Hill in a thrilling finish to the Raymond Smith Memorial Hunters Chase at Leopardstown today.

The pair fought out a tremendous battle on the run-in, with Salsify, under regular rider Colman Sweeney finishing with a wet sail to edge out Tammys Hill by a neck.

Salsify and Tammys Hill have their own mini-Sir Des Champs/Flemenstar rivalry with Salsify gaining his revenge on Tammys Hill following two defeats this season.

Afterwards winning trainer Roger Sweeney, father of the winning jockey, stated “the ground was a bit drier today – it was sticky crossing the road and from the turn-in to the last it was soft but other that that it was better than I thought.

“He is coming along nicely now and is timing it just right. He'll get a week off after this and then we'll aim him at Cheltenham. Hopefully he'll come on another bit and he's at the same stage as where he was last year.”

Stan James later cut Salsify to 5/1 (from 7s) second favourite, behind 4/1f Chapoturgeon, for a repeat success of the Cheltenham Foxhunters Chase.

Quotes from Gary Carson