Mala Beach provided Gordon Elliott with his fourth straight victory in the Ladbrokes Troytown Chase at Navan.
The Cullentra handler had won the last three renewals of the prestigious handicap and appeared intent on adding to his tally, saddling five runners in a 21-strong field.
Mala Beach, runner-up on his seasonal reappearance at Galway last month, was a 12-1 shot in the hands of Davy Russell and moved smoothly into contention from the home turn.
"In fairness to that horse he has been threatening to win a big race for a long time," said Elliott.
"Simon (McGonagle) my head man rides him out every day at home and he had full confidence in him today. He said he'd love the ground and he thought he would go close.
"It hasn't been easy, it has been a long road.
"He was running in a Bobbyjo Chase a couple of years ago and fell at the second-last, so he deserved to win that today.
"If it ever came up soft in Aintree he could be an English National horse."
Bonny Kate was in front jumping the second fence from the finish, but Mala Beach soon took over and galloped all the way to the line to score by two-and-three-quarter lengths.
Dont Tell No One finished off strongly to fill the runner-up spot ahead of Bonny Kate and Poormans Hill in third and fourth place respectively.
Acapella Bourgeois was a heavily-backed 7-4 favourite on his first start for Willie Mullins, but the top-weight fell with over a circuit still to run.
Russell said: "It's a fabulous race to win. I was lucky to win in the past and it's great to win it again.
"We went a really good gallop and I knew I was riding a good horse. I couldn't do much about the weight (11st 9lb), so I just had to go with the pace and slot him in behind the leaders."
When asked about a potential tilt at the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown, Elliott said: "It would have to be soft and I'd have to talk to Chris (Jones, owner)."
