Dorans Pride simply toyed with his three rivals in the featured Morris Oil Chase at Clonmel yesterday when coming home a distance clear of Merry People in the hands of Richard Dunwoody.
Sent off at prohibitive odds of 1 to 5 to follow up on his emphatic Gowran Park seasonal debut in the Kilkenny Beer Champion Chase last month, he tracked leader and stable companion Mr Jeeves for most of the journey before forging to the front approaching the third last.
Richard Dunwoody-hardly moved a muscle aboard the dual Gold Cup third when gradually putting plenty of daylight back to his toiling rivals before drawing right away after the turn-in to repeat last year's success in the annual Powerstown Park November highlight.
Winning trainer Michael Hourigan, attending the Fairyhouse Sales, missed seeing his charge notch up his 23 third victory to bring his career earnings to almost £450,000. Paddy Power make the nine-year-old a 10 to 1 shot for next year's Cheltenham blue riband.
Although coming home a distance clear of Merry People, who took full advantage when Bob Treacy unshipped Tommy Treacy at the penultimate fence and Mr Jeeves then refusing at the last, Richard Dunwoody was not totally satisfied with the performance.
"He slipped all over the place going into his fences and wasn't jumping with his usual fluency until the final two in the straight. He hated the surface and wasn't confident but he's so intelligent and otherwise felt well," he said of the gelding, who heads for the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown next month.
Earlier Dunwoody scored on his only other ride at the meeting when partnering the Tim Doyle-trained Sandy's Native to victory in the opening INH Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle.
Norman Williamson, successful aboard Clash Of The Gales in the Irish NH Novice Hurdle, also recorded a double when steering Edward O'Grady's Nick Dundee to a smooth 15-lengths win in the Beginners' Chase.
"He's still inexperienced as a racehorse and he needs a race," remarked O'Grady, before he added: "I hope there'll be a fair amount of improvement and I'd like to think he will be a three miler."
