Henrietta Knight's decision to bypass the King George at Kempton on St Stephen's Day was justified in some style today as dual Gold Cup winner Best Mate (8/11f) destroyed his rivals in the featured €150,000 Ericsson Chase on the penultimate day of the Leopardstown Christmas festival.
The anticipated dual with Ireland's star chaser Beef Or Salmon (2/1) never materialised as Michael Hourigan's charge found himself at odds with many of the 17 fences and failed to trouble the winner, weakening in the straight to finish third behind the winner and Le Coudray (14/1) by nine and four lengths.
"He may not be Arkle but he's some horse," Knight declared. "I know we had our critics for missing Kempton but we proved them all wrong today, I was happy with the ground and the course and I'm just delighted."
Knight, famous for being unable to watch her star horses in action and who "listened" to today's race in the "car park", said Best Mate was unlikely to appear again this season until his Gold Cup title defence in March.
The winner, whose only blip throughout the three mile race came at the sixth, received a deafening reception in the winner's enclosure and winning jockey Jim Culloty roused the crowd by punching the air from his saddle a number of times.
"I'm thrilled with the response we've got over here," Knight added. "After all, he is an Irish horse and what a welcome he's had coming back home. Jim said they almost went too slow for him but he's the best there is today."
As for Beef or Salmon's challenge, Hourigan said: "Timmy (Murphy) was disappointed. He said he was just never travelling. "I will have him scoped and maybe something will come to light. There's a lot of coughing about at the moment."
Pizarro (4/1) bounced back to form following a disappointing showing at Fairyhouse last time with a commanding nine length victory over Rosslea (9/2) - trained by Knight - in the Grade One William Neville & Sons Novice Chase.
"I over trained him for Fairyhouse," winning trainer Edward O'Grady said. "I gave him too much work and it flattened him, trainer error you could say. But great credit to Barry, he gave him a super ride today."
Pizarro raced in contention throughout and while the well supported favourite Emotional Moment (5/2f) had plenty to find before falling five out, the winner always looked comfortable, taking the lead from Satco Express on the turn and holding the challenge of High Cloy (10/1) who looked like threatening but found little on the run in.
"He jumped well and is a formidable opponent," said O'Grady who pin-pointed the PJ Moriarty Chase here on February 8th as Pizzaro's next target.
The duo teamed up again soon after with Sacundai (1/1f) stamping his authority over his seven rivals in the woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle, a result which catapults him into the mix for the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Sacundai headed the front running Be My Belle at the second last and pulled away rounding the straight for a seven length and one length victory over Be My Belle (10/1) and Rostropovich (6/1). The winner's market rival, Florida Coast, stablemate to both Limestone Lad and Solerina, faded badly a mile from home and was pulled up.
There was drama early on in the Durkan New Homes Hurdle when the field, depleted to just four runners with the morning withdrawal of Georges Girl, was reduced further when 1/3 favourite Adarma dived at the first flight and unseated jockey Alan Crowe.
That incident left eventual winner Demophilos (9/2) a distance clear of Kopoosha (6/1) with Eagles High (20/1) a similar distance back in third having been left at the start. The latter did recover, though, to finish second, but a long way behind the Dessie Hughes-trained winner.
"That was handy," the trainer, with a winner each day at this meeting, joked afterwards. "He should be a good novice and we will look for a hurdle race somewhere for him."
Willie Mullins has the Pierse Hurdle here next month in mind for Arch Stanton (13/8f) who quickened away up the straight under Ruby Walsh to win the opening O'Dwyers Stillorgan Orchard Maiden Hurdle by two lengths from Tiger Cry (16/1).
O'Grady rounded off a memorable day, in front of the 19,200 crowds, when Forty Licks, under JP Magnier, provided him with his third winner when landing the concluding bumper by 11 lengths.