The last hurdle at Leopardstown proved the undoing of Istabraq again today as the superstar hurdler took a crashing fall in the Shell Champion Hurdle.
Charlie Swan's mount guessed at the last flight and got it all wrong to allow Moscow Flyer (6-1) to gallop to the £69,000 first prize.
The same hurdle had been the scene of his tired fall in heavy ground on New Year's Eve.
But whereas he had been struggling that day, the son of Sadler's Wells, sent off at 2/7f, was cruising this afternoon after improving to sit on the tail of Moscow Flyer from two out.
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Colonel Yeager (7-1) ran on to take second and Mantles Prince (16-1) was third.
Istabraq was soon up on his feet unharmed and was led back in by Swan.