Fakir D'Oudairies became the latest Irish raider to claim big-race honours on British soil with a battling victory in the Betfair Ascot Chase.
The raiding party's dominance of last year's Cheltenham Festival is well documented at this stage, while earlier this season A Plus Tard lifted the Betfair Chase and Tornado Flyer plundered the King George.
There has not been an Irish-trained winner of this particular Grade One contest since Sound Man struck gold for Edward O'Grady in 1996, but Fakir D'Oudairies ended the 26-year wait under Mark Walsh.
Joseph O'Brien's charge had already carried the colours of leading owner JP McManus to two top-level victories and kicked off the current campaign with a Grade Two success in the Clonmel Oil Chase.
He had proved no match for the brilliant Allaho on his two most recent outings at Punchestown and Thurles, but was the 9-4 favourite to bounce back to winning ways in Berkshire.
With King George third Saint Calvados pulling up and a bad mistake four fences from home knocking the stuffing out of last year's winner Dashel Drasher, it was 25-1 shot Two For Gold who led the way turning for home.
It took Fakir D'Oudairies a while to wear him down, but he eventually got on top after the final obstacle and had a length and three-quarters in hand at the line.
Does He Know stamped his class in the Bateaux London Reynoldstown Novices' Chase at Ascot.
Kim Bailey's Grade Two-winning hurdler was thoroughly impressive in winning his first two starts over fences, but came up short when bidding for the hat-trick at Cheltenham in November.
Well clear! Does He Know is a decisive winner of the Grade 2 Bateaux London Reynoldstown Novices' Chase at @Ascot for David Bass and @kimbaileyracing... pic.twitter.com/EjaZMR8NR6
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) February 19, 2022
However, with his Cheltenham conqueror Threeunderthrufive having since plundered two Grade Two prizes, Does He Know appeared to have every chance of getting back on the winning trail in Berkshire.
The three-mile contest was not for the faint-hearted, with most of the runners having to be nudged along at some stage as the testing conditions took their toll.
But 9-2 shot Does He Know grabbed the race by the scruff of the neck before the home turn and galloped all the way up the straight under David Bass to claim top honours by 14 lengths.
Doyen Breed was best of the rest in second, with his fellow Scottish challenger Corach Rambler - the 16-5 favourite - still in with every chance when unseating Sligo jockey Derek Fox five fences from the finish.
