Churchstonewarrior secured a deserved first victory over fences with a determined display in the William Hill Ten Up Novice Chase at Navan.
Jonathan Sweeney's stable star has a bumper success and two wins over hurdles to his credit, but had to make do with the runner-up spot in his first three chase starts - most recently coming home behind Gaillard Du Mesnil in a Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Easing in class for this three-mile Grade Two, Churchstonewarrior was a 9-4 chance in the hands of Aidan Coleman, with John McConnell's recent course-and-distance winner Mahler Mission the 5-4 favourite.
In the end it came down to a fight between the front two in the market, with Churchstonewarrior digging deep to get the better of Mahler Mission by three-quarters of a length.
Flanking Maneuver travelled strongly for a long way on his first competitive appearance in over two years and connections will undoubtedly be delighted with his performance in finishing a close-up third.
"That's great, he was good. Aidan was very happy with him and said he jumped well," Sweeney of the winner.
"I'll talk to the lads now and see, but he's in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham. We'll get over today and see how he is tomorrow.
"He's developing away and improving all the time. I'd imagine he could be a National horse in time.
"I'm delighted for the owners, they are a great bunch of lads. They were getting a fair bit of money for him last year. He was vetted and was going, Tom (Hegarty) rang me one evening and asked what I thought and I said 'I'd have to sell him if he was mine' but they kept him anyway, which was great."
Hunters Yarn further strengthened Willie Mullins' potential hand for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham next month with an authoritative victory in Listed company.
The most successful trainer in Festival history already houses the ante-post favourite for the traditional curtain-raiser in Facile Vega, while his Leopardstown conqueror of last weekend Il Etait Temps and Impaire Et Passe are other high-class operators in the mix for the Closutton handler.
Three-time bumper winner Hunters Yarn was beaten at odds-on in his first two hurdle races, but made it third time lucky with an impressive display at Naas last month to earn himself a step up in grade.
American Mike, runner-up to Facile Vega in last season's Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, was the 11-8 favourite to bounce back from from a below-par effort at the track in the autumn, with Hunters Yarn a 3-1 shot in the hands of Paul Townend.
American Mike cut out much of the running in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Novice Hurdle, but was unable to resist the strong-travelling Hunters Yarn, who ultimately won comfortably by six lengths, with Imagine staying on for second and Inothewayurthinkin pipping American Mike to third.
Firm Footings (100-30) opened his account over obstacles in the first division of the Navan Ford & Opel Maiden Hurdle.
Gordon Elliott's Galway bumper winner had been placed on his first three hurdling starts and made no mistake at the fourth time of asking - seeing off 4-5 favourite Horantzau D'airy by a length in the hands of Jordan Gainford.
The second division went the way of Mullins and Townend through 1-3 shot Ho My Lord.
An early faller on his Irish debut at Leopardstown over the Christmas period, the French Flat winner put that behind him with a comfortable four-and-a-half-length success over Banjaxed.
