Chris's Dream defied deteriorating conditions to grind out an all-the-way win in the Grade Two Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park.
Henry de Bromhead's Cheltenham Gold Cup entry was dropping back to two and a half miles, following his impressive success over three in Navan's Troytown Handicap Chase in November.
Rachael Blackmore unsurprisingly set out to make the most of the eight-year-old's assured stamina at this trip and Chris's Dream responded with a fluent round of jumping, despite going slightly right at several fences.
He was in front from the outset, posted out wide on the first circuit. Then in worsening visibility, he appeared to have settled matters at the second last before having to dig deep to hold off runner-up Shattered Love and win by two and a quarter lengths at 3-1.
Mullins' even-money favourite Real Steel ran no race and was already tailed off in the back straight.
Chris's Dream makes all in difficult conditions to land the Red Mills Chase for Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead 👏 pic.twitter.com/E1V71zOhnz
— Gowran Park (@GowranPark1) February 15, 2020
De Bromhead stopped short of committing his winner just yet to a definite Cheltenham target next month.
"He's in the Ryanair and he's in the Gold Cup, so we'll see," said the County Waterford trainer.
"We'll see how he is - he doesn't take too many runs, so we felt we had to come here, and it's great to win this.
"We'll enjoy today, and then see what we want to do."
De Bromhead is not concerned about the possibility of drier ground at the Festival, however.
"He won the Ten Up on goodish ground last year, so I don't think that ground is a necessity," he added.
"I still don't know why his form tails off a bit - I think there are only three or four runs in him.
"He seemed to jump a little bit right and go right - I'm not sure about that. But it's great he won, and Rachael was brilliant on him.
"After a couple or three runs, he seems to lose his form, so that's why we purposely put him away for now.
"At the back-end of each season he can be a bit disappointing - but when he's on song, he really does battle."
