Heart Wood eased to victory to take the Ryanair Chase in convincing style at the Cheltenham Festival.
Trained by Henry de Bromhead and ridden by Darragh O'Keeffe, Heart Wood went off a 9-2 chance after Fact To File was withdrawn and was bidding to go one better than his second-placed finish behind that horse last year.
The eight-year-old always looked comfortable and drew level with JPR One, who made the running, at the turn for home before pulling clear up the hill to register a 10-length victory over the 2-1 favourite Jonbon.
De Bromhead said: "We're delighted to get on the board. It was getting a bit sketchy there I have to admit, but that was brilliant, Darragh was brilliant on him and he jumped amazing.
"He ran a blinder last year when we rode him to be placed, whereas this year we said we’d go out and give it a real go. He just winged fences and it was one of those dream races.
"It’s getting harder and harder to win here. It’s been even more competitive this week when you see the numbers in the fields.
"We have a great team at home, we all work hard and it’s great to get these rewards."
Owner Brian Acheson said: "Half-an-hour ago I was on the floor after Teahupoo (disappointed) in the Stayers’ Hurdle and then you come back and win this – it just shows you what a screw-up game this is!
"This fellow was always there and when the favourite came out he had a chance, but we were having such a bad week you start to talk yourself out of it.
"I’m delighted for Henry and Darragh, it’s their first winner (of the week) and it’s all about them – the trainer, the jockey, the horse and the team at Knockeen."
Willie Mullins has expressed his annoyance at conditions at the Cheltenham Festival after withdrawing star chaser Fact To File.
The ground at Prestbury Park was officially described as good, good to soft in places for the third day of the meeting, but after Fact To File's owner JP McManus walked the track on Thursday morning and having witnessed some of his own team during the early races on the card, Mullins was not prepared to risk his Irish Gold Cup hero.
Mullins told Racing TV: "JP walked the track this morning and I happened to walk it coming across the track after exercising horses. Looking at Bambino Fever (unplaced favourite in first race) and looking at the ground, I thought 'this ground is going to be too good for her’ and sure enough she wasn’t able to act on it.
"I said to JP these horses are too difficult to get and acquire and you have to mind them. We waited and waited for the rain that was promised, it hasn’t come, so we made the decision not to run. These horses are too hard to find, too hard to get."
Mullins went on to explain that, although appreciating the forecast rain had not materialised, he felt further watering could have taken place to ensure softer underfoot conditions ahead of the action switching to the New course.
He added: "In jumps racing we would like soft in the description of the ground and we think good ground is not good enough for the type of individual we are buying and trying to race. You want to have the top horses at the best Festival, but if the ground is like this, we are not going to bring them.
"We were promised watering and I’m not sure the watering we were promised has been done. I’m a little bit annoyed about that and I thought there would be more watering done.
"I know the weather forecast hasn’t been kind, but very few people complain about a bit of watering and then too much rain.
"This isn’t good for the type of horses we are bringing over here and I know it suits some horses but for the majority of the good, big, National Hunt horses we would like it a little softer."
Cheltenham’s clerk of the course Jon Pullin felt the ground at Prestbury Park was suitable on Thursday.
He said: "We are always aiming to produce safe ground for all participants and I feel that we’ve done that today following four millimetres of selective watering on Wednesday night."
