Streets Of Gold came out best in a gruelling battle for the paddypower.com Cork Grand National.
Given a patient stalking ride by Alan Crowe, the Christy Roche-trained 11-1 chance was still travelling very strongly with four to jump as Operation Houdini gamely bowled along at the head of affairs, as he had from the outset of the three-and-a-half-mile event.
The Last Derby joined those two in a line of three at the second-last but made a mistake at the final fence which put paid to his chance.
Operation Houdini stays forever and did not go down without a real fight for Ruby Walsh, but Streets Of Gold always just held the upper hand in the JP McManus colours and saw it out for a famous success.
Bred more for a Derby than a National, Streets Of Gold is by Sadler's Wells out of the brilliant mare User Friendly and was once in the care of Aidan O'Brien, for whom he won a Wexford maiden under Kieren Fallon.
Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus, said: ‘He jumped well and Alan gave him a great ride. He liked the conditions and the trip, and he had run well in Sligo last time.
‘It is great to get a prize like that, but as for future plans I don't know as he has limited scope for big fences.’
Mount Helicon (9-10 favourite) ground it out to land the Grade Three Dial-A-Bet 1800 721 821 EBF Novice Hurdle.
Hitting the front two out as long-time leader King Maker gave way, John Cullen's mount was not as fluent as he might have been and Original Option and Moon Over Moscow put down strong challenges.
But Tom Hogan's five-year-old dug that bit deeper from the last and had a length and three-quarters to spare over Original Option at the line, giving Cullen and Hogan back-to-back wins in the race after Premier Victory 12 months ago.
Hogan said: ‘He'll come back here in December for another three-mile novice hurdle. He is a lovely horse and he jumps well. He doesn't want the ground as heavy as that.’
The other Grade Three contest on the card, the Dial-A-Bet 1800 721 821 EBF Novice Chase, was a triumph for the Colin Kidd-trained Back Of The Pack (12-1) who continued her rise through the ranks by completing a hat-trick.
The mare was always in the front two under Mick Darcy and would not be pegged back as the challengers came for her running down the straight, galloping on strongly to account for Beau Michael by four and a half lengths.
Darcy had initiated a double when Silas Mariner (7-1) took the paddypower.com iPhone App 3-Y-O Hurdle after making every yard and running on really well to score by four lengths.
The Davy Condon-ridden Model County Lass (11-4) needed all the two and a half miles of the paddypower.com iPhone App INH Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle to haul in Foildubh, who lost second to Medical Card close home.
