Blackstairmountain was made to pull out all the stops to justify prohibitive odds in the Hilltown Race at Bellewstown on Wednesday evening.
A Grade One winner over both hurdles and fences, the seven-year-old was the 1-7 favourite having finished third in the Galway Plate on his latest appearance.
There were genuine concerns the Willie Mullins inmate would get beaten in the home straight, with the trainer's son, Patrick Mullins, hard at work.
Parramatta was travelling noticeably better with a couple of furlongs to run, but Blackstairmountain, whose attitude has been called into question in the past, dug deep to get on top by a length and three-quarters.
While many would have been disappointed with the manner of Blackstairmountain's victory, Mullins junior feels time could tell it was a decent effort.
"She (Parramatta) was the one I was worried about as she was getting nearly a stone. She won a bumper and is bred to get this distance," said the jockey.
"I know my fellow has a reputation for not being tough but he was tough there. That might prove to be good form."
