Harvard Guy made it a hat-trick of course wins in taking the Listed Navan Handicap Hurdle.
Running off a mark 22lb higher than when successful in November, the Eddie and Patrick Harty-trained gelding was given a patient ride by Mark Walsh in the JP McManus colours, as Kilbree Warrior bowled along well clear in the hands of Darragh O'Keeffe.
The 7-4 favourite still had work to do over the last, but in the end was able to reel in the gallant Kilbree Warrior for victory by three-quarters of a length, giving the mare 15lb in doing so.
"It was hard fought. In fairness to the second horse I thought he had gone mad on the ground, but he nearly got there," said Eddie Harty.
"We couldn’t have ridden him any differently with the weights, but he did get there and it was a good performance.
"I’d say myself that would rule him out of Leopardstown (Dublin Racing Festival), I don’t think you could turn out after that run on that ground.
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"He’s had a cracking season and if they said to me 'that’ll do him for the year’, you couldn’t be disappointed with the season.
"We’ll have a rethink now about what is next. It was either here or Leopardstown, unless it had been lovely ground here and he’d won on the bridle. I don’t think he’ll recover enough to go three miles."
He added: "He’s a lovely horse and he has a future over fences, he jumps very well. He’s improved physically and has improved mentally from race to race. He’s becoming a racehorse now.
"You could make a case for going for a graded novice hurdle somewhere. He likes it here."
Asian Master earned Cheltenham quotes in taking his record to two from two under rules in the Race Displays Rated Novice Hurdle at Navan.
A point-to-point winner for Tony Costello, he switched to Willie Mullins for his hurdling campaign and struck at the first time of asking at Thurles.
Made the 4-6 favourite to follow up in the hands of his amateur rider Thomas Costello, the market leader was always moving well on the heels of pacesetter Better Days Ahead.
Ridden to take over going to the last, Asian Master quickly went clear to score by 10 lengths from Better Days Ahead.
The seven-year-old was introduced at 40-1 for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle by Betfair and Paddy Power.
"I thought my horse travelled very sweet and I could see Jack Kennedy niggling his lad (Better Days Ahead) to stay in front," said Costello, who is the grandson of the renowned late bloodstock dealer Tom Costello, whose graduates included such luminaries as three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Best Mate.
"I thought he travelled way better than him everywhere and jumped better. I fancied him today and thought he’d win to be honest. His work at home was very good, he has a fantastic attitude and takes everything in his stride.
"Jack’s horse was the horse to take out of it and I thought he’d beat him.
"We’re enjoying every day we have with him and fingers crossed, if he stays safe and lucky, we’ll have another few days out of him."
Costello is extremely tall for a jockey and said: "I’d like to say I’m 6 (foot) 4 (inches) but I wouldn’t like to measure myself at the same time in case I got a fright!"
Another to enter the Cheltenham picture was My Trump Card, who obliged as the 7-4 favourite in the QuinnBet Maiden Hurdle.
Gordon Elliott’s charge was winning over hurdles for the first time at the third attempt, although his first try was over a year ago and he had run with promise when second most recently at Fairyhouse.
Paddy Power and Betfair cut the winner to 16-1 from 25s for the Albert Bartlett, and Elliott said: "It’s very tough work and he (jockey Jack Kennedy) probably sent him on plenty early today, I was giving out to him the last day for not making enough use of him!
"He said he was idling in front and was never going to get beat.
"He’s probably more of a chaser than a hurdler, he said when he’s right he’s good but when he’s wrong he has no respect for hurdles.
"He’ll maybe head straight for the Albert Bartlett now."
The Mullins stable struck again with the Paul Townend-ridden Minella Cocooner (11-10 favourite) in the Jack Kiernans Celebrating 55 Years In Business Beginners Chase.
A Grade One winner as a novice hurdler, he is finding his feet over the larger obstacles and was cut for both the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase and National Hunt Chase in March.
Assistant trainer Patrick Mullins said: "It was a huge improvement from his first run, but obviously he’d had a long time off with injuries.
"He jumped spectacular there and seemed a lot more settled than he was in his hurdling days. Paul was delighted with him."
When asked if he could be a horse for the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham, he added: "He’s qualified now as he’s had two runs and been placed over three miles. You’d definitely have to put his name in the hat for that.
"There is the Brown Advisory as well, obviously he was second in the Albert Bartlett so he has plenty of class.
"Cheltenham and the Festival is a much different atmosphere than here today and he was very keen in the Albert Bartlett. He’s older and more mature now, though."
