Croke Park held on resolutely to claim a hard-fought win in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.
Trainer Gordon Elliott saddled three of the five runners, with Henry de Bromhead responsible for the other two as a small field assembled for the Grade One.
Sam Ewing gave the winner a front-running ride as the outsider at odds of 22-1, with stablemate Firefox the evens favourite.
After nearly two and a half miles his resolve was tested, however, with the favourite and De Bromhead's Heart Wood challenging and Gorgeous Tom also finishing very swiftly.
Croke Park dug deep and in a four-way finish, he managed to hold on by just a neck.
What a finish in the Drinmore. Sam Ewing and Croke Park take it at the post
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"That was brilliant. The horse probably won an average enough beginners’ chase here the last day and I didn’t know if the form was good enough, but that’s why I run them in the races," said Elliott.
"Sometimes people say I shouldn’t run as many, but if you’re not in you can’t win and that’s what racing is about. This lad was 22-1.
"Sam gave him a great ride. Those are the races you want to see, there were four or five of them within a couple of lengths jumping the last. They went steady but it was a great race.
"I thought Henry’s horse would make it, to be honest, and Sam would sit second.
"With those jockeys, if you are telling them what to do going out you are telling them wrong. I just leave them to themselves.
"The three horses ran great races. Firefox was only beaten a neck and a short head and Shecouldbeanything was only beaten a couple of lengths.
"On another day any of the horses could have won it. Mark Walsh was coming fast at the line.
"Croke Park has been disappointing up until now to be honest. He wasn’t cheap but thankfully he’s got his Grade One now, so we’re happy."
Washington comes out on top in the Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse
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Washington made a trip across the Irish Sea worthwhile when landing the Bar One Racing "100% Football Acca Boost On Self Service Betting Terminals" Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
Harry Derham's eight-year-old made a winning stable debut after nearly a year off in October and had long been pencilled in for the Listed event in Ireland.
He was ridden by Paul O’Brien and started as the 4-1 favourite, looking promising from an early stage when travelling well under bottom weight of 10st 4lb.
Before long the victory looked assured and he crossed the line five lengths ahead of Barry Connell’s Enniskerry.
"He has very sporting owners. This race closes early and I thought with the ground in Ireland being quite dry this autumn that it might suit us," said Derham.
"We had it in our mind, obviously it was a huge amount of prize-money and I thought the track would really suit him.
"When he won at Chepstow last time out I considered the Greatwood, but I thought the track wouldn’t suit at all.
"This place, a big, galloping track, I thought it would be perfect for him. Very rarely in horseracing a plan comes together, but this one actually did!
"This is the biggest race I’ve won so far in my career and it’s very cool because this horse is a little bit older and has a few miles on the clock.
"To get him back loving it like this and to put in a performance like that was exceedingly satisfying."
History Of Fashion went one better than last year’s effort to take the Bar One Racing "Guaranteed Overnight Prices" Porterstown Handicap Chase.
Pat Fahy’s gelding missed out by three lengths under Richie Condon 12 months ago and started a 10-1 chance this time when ridden by 7lb claimer Harry Sexton.
On this occasion he was not for beating in the Listed event and in a strongly-contested finish, he battled to success by a length and a quarter.
"He was second in this race last year, with Richie Condon, and it was a great run," said Fahy.
"It’s a great syndicate from Limerick and Clare, headed by Stephen Murphy. I’m very lucky with the very few owners I have. Only for them there wouldn’t be days like this.
"If you have a few owners, it’s amazing what you can do. They’ll get some kick out of it.
"It just goes to show that form is form. He loves Fairyhouse and he won around Down Royal the last time. Some tracks he just won’t operate around.
"The ground drying out makes such a difference to this horse. If the ground is soft and loose he can manage but if it was even quicker today, that would be his ground.
"He ran a similar race last year, but this year he went one better and he was a good fifth in the Irish National.
"It wasn’t a typical National last year and we snuck in. We had a great day out, finished fifth and it was like winning."
La Malmason returned to form for Gavin Cromwell and Keith Donoghue.
The six-year-old had undergone surgery for kissing spines after struggling with her jumping last term and the results were clear as she contested the Bar One Racing "Bet 10 Euros Get 50 Euros Sign Up Offer" Irish EBF Mares Handicap Chase.
A 10-1 chance for the race, the bay jumped well throughout and was a comfortable four-length winner on the line.
"She was very good. We were clutching at straws with her, but she had kissing spine surgery during the summer and it’s obviously done the trick," said Cromwell.
"She was making a lot of mistakes last year. We got her checked out at the end of the season and went and found that.
"I’m delighted with the way she jumped there today, Keith said when he jumped the first, he knew she was a different mare. Hopefully she can kick on from here.
"I haven’t look beyond today, this was the plan. I was a little bit concerned the ground wouldn’t be slow enough for her, she’d appreciate softer going. She’ll definitely get further.
When asked if she could possibly be a Thyestes Chase contender, he added: "You couldn’t rule it out and I wouldn’t rule out an Irish National either."
Koktail Brut (15-8) took the closing Bar One Racing "Bet Builder On Self Service Betting Terminals" (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race for Gordon Elliott.
Naturally Nimble caused an upset when ousting Willy De Houelle in the Bar One Racing "Price Boosts Across All Channels" Juvenile Hurdle.
The latter horse was the 1-4 favourite as he made his Irish debut for Willie Mullins in the Grade Three, with Joseph O'Brien’s Naturally Nimble a 33-1 chance having been well beaten on his hurdling debut.
His prior Flat form was reasonable, however, and his pedigree an interesting one as he is a half-brother to the German Group-winning sprinter Namos.
Under Richard Deegan he travelled towards the rear of the six-strong field, and when drawing level with the favourite in the final stages, he was able to show his turn of foot to secure victory by a length and a half.
"He disappointed us a little bit last week so we said we’d hunt around here and see. He did it well," said Deegan.
"They went a good gallop and the race probably fell apart a little bit in front of us and we were there to pick up the pieces. He stayed at it well.
"He was at a high level on the Flat, so hopefully he can keep coming along. He wants that nice ground."
Naturally Nimble is now a 20-1 chance with Coral for the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
Willie Mullins' Tounsivator came out on top when defeating four stablemates to take the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
Under Danny Mullins, he was a 12-1 shot with Gordon Elliott’s Romeo Coolio sent off 1-2 favourite for the Grade Two contest after finishing second in last season’s Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
The latter horse was upstaged by the winner, however, with Tounsivator throwing down a challenge in the final two furlongs and drawing level with the Romeo Coolio over the final flight.
After that he stuck gamely to the task, prevailing by two and a half lengths with the favourite behind him and Sea Of Sands back in third.
"I thought every horse that we ran there had a chance if they ran their best race," said Willie Mullins.
"He might have had the fitness edge on them as he’d been running for us during the summer.
"He was a nice purchase for Temple Bloodstock and I’m very pleased for Aubrey McMahon. He was a reasonably priced horse and it’s tremendous for the syndicate to win a race like that.
"Aubrey seems to be able to buy them cheap, he also had the English Cesarewitch winner.
"I’m very happy with him and I’d imagine we’ll go on to Christmas now with him. The ground conditions probably suited him better today."
