Limini continued a tremendous week for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh by easily winning the Trull House Stud Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Having only her third race over jumps, the five-year-old toyed with the opposition as she completed a treble on the day for the Mullins team and owner Rich Ricci.
Walsh coaxed her to the front at the last and sealed the newest race of the Festival in a matter of strides.
Limini (8-11 favourite) powered up the hill to strike by four and a half lengths from Dusky Legend (50-1) with Bloody Mary (7-1) third, as Mullins and Walsh secured their seventh success of the week.
Walsh said: "She's a little gem. She jumped like a buck. She's a good filly."
Of his alliance with Mullins, Walsh said: "It's different for me nowadays - I've become very much part of the team and we all work for a genius."
Walsh went on: "Another great day. She was given as the banker a long time ago.
"She's a very talented filly, all we had to do was iron out her jumping but she schooled really well the last fortnight, very slick.
"She's a high-class filly. There was never a moment's worry. She travelled well and jumped well.
"I'd imagine there's a big Flat race in her off 89. She's deadly.
"She's a good filly, if she'd got beat it wouldn't have made sense as she's been working with some good horses.
"Stamina wasn't an issue, she'd won over two miles, two.
"We told everyone for the last six weeks and she was just a shade of odds-on."
Mullins said: "We couldn't believe we could buy her with just one bid at the sales, a mare with her potential.
"She was very novicey on her first run but every time she worked she showed how good she was and her jumping improved each time we schooled her and for a novice having just her third run she was very good today.
"It looked like she liked the better ground.
"She's got a nice Flat mark and the Ascot Stakes would look a target, however, we will look at Liverpool, Punchestown or maybe both depending how she is.
"She's plenty of stamina and lots of speed."
4:50 #CheltenhamFestival Result:
— Boylesports (@BoyleSports) March 17, 2016
1st Limini 8/11 fav
2nd Dusky Legend 50/1
3rd Bloody Mary 7/1#BringItOn
Davy Russell quickly made amends for being dumped at the start of the opening race when landing a narrow success on Mall Dini in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle Final.
Russell had been unseated from Zabana who was sideways on when the tape went up for the JLT Novices' Chase, but was smiling again when scoring on Patrick Kelly's six-year-old.
2:10 #CheltenhamFestival
— Boylesports (@BoyleSports) March 17, 2016
Result:
1st Mall Dini 14/1
2nd Arpege D'alene 14/1
3rd If In Doubt 10/1
4th Taglietelle 14/1
5th Our Kaempfer 9/1
Flintham set a good pace until headed after the second-last by Join The Clan, who tried to set sail for home.
His challenge was short lived as the pack closed in to produce a thrilling and dramatic finish.
Mall Dini (14-1) came out on top by three-quarters of a length from Arpege D'Alene (14-1) with the unlucky If In Doubt (10-1) a head away third and top-weight Taglietelle (14-1) fourth.
It was no surprise when a stewards' inquiry was called following such a tight end to the race, but the result was soon confirmed.
Russell said: "He's still a novice, all credit goes to Pat Kelly. What a man, not many people know him, he's a very shrewd man from Galway.
"The tongue strap has definitely helped him, he was over-doing things a bit and not breathing properly. It's all Pat Kelly's doing, he knew what the horse wanted. He's a genius.
"He pricked his ears at the last, when I landed I had to change my stick and he just wandered about a bit. He's a very good horse, without a doubt."
Kelly said: "He's a nice horse, progressing the whole time.
"It's very exciting. It's great to have a winner at Cheltenham - I've been here twice and haven't had much luck.
"We have a small number of horses - Philip (Reynolds, owner) and I have been friends for a long time and he was always on at me to buy a horse.
"He's fine, big-looking horse with a fine pedigree."
Reynolds said: "It's incredible, I've dreamt about this for so long.
"Pat Kelly trains five horses in a tiny village, this is what racing is all about.
"Pat is a fantastic trainer, he told me to be patient, he thinks he's a Grand National horse but we'll settle for this.
"We beat the favourite (Leave At Dawn) in the qualifier so I knew we shouldn't be far away."
Cause Of Causes gave Ireland their sixth winner at Cheltenham on St Patrick's Day when storming home in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Chase.
5:30 #Cheltenham Result:
— Boylesports (@BoyleSports) March 17, 2016
1st Cause Of Causes 9/2
2nd A Good Skin 14/1
3rd Silvergrove 16/1
4th Knock House 16/1#BringItOn
Victorious in the four-mile National Hunt Chase 12 months ago, Cause Of Cause (9-2) came from way off the pace to turn this three-and-a-quarter-mile test into a procession.
He still had plenty to do at the second-last but made up a massive amount of ground to lead before the final fence.
With his stamina not in question, Cause Of Causes pulled clear on the flat to win by 12 lengths from A Good Skin (14-1) for trainer Gordon Elliott and owner JP McManus.
Silvergrove (16-1) was half a length back in and Knock House (16-1) was fourth.
It was Jamie Codd's fourth victory in race after Character Building in 2009, Junior in 2011 and The Package 12 months ago.
Widely regarded as the best amateur in the business, lesser jockeys may have panicked with a mile to run but Codd knew his mount stayed strongly having won over four miles on him last year.
The favourite, Doctor Harper, made several errors before falling late on.
