News: Central House produced a major upset by beating dual Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Moscow Flyer in the Fortria Chase at Navan yesterday.
The two had the race more or less to themselves from the start and they jumped the final fence together.
But Central House (8 to 1), trained by Dessie Hughes and ridden by amateur Roger Loughran, proved the stronger on the run in to come home three and a half lengths clear of the 4 to 11 favourite.
There was very little to choose between Central House and Moscow Flyer for most of the race as they opened a three-length gap over three rivals.
The two leaders appeared to stumble on the turn to the third-last fence but they quickly recovered and the contest began in earnest in the straight.
Barry Geraghty asked Moscow Flyer to go past Central House two out in a bid to win this race for the third successive year.
However, the 11-year-old could not shake off his younger rival and he had nothing more to give after jumping the last, although trainer Jessica Harrington was not downcast in defeat.
"I'm not disappointed, he needed the run," she said. "We'll now be going for the Tingle Creek (at Sandown on December 3rd) with every hope of winning."
In contrast to Moscow Flyer, Solerina had little trouble in making all the running to win the Philips Electronics Lismullen Hurdle for the second successive year.
Gary Hutchinson was able to dictate affairs on the 4 to 6 favourite, who turned on the power in the straight. Back In Front looked a threat but a mistake at the second-last flight cost him any chance he had of upsetting the Jame Bowes-trained mare. After skipping over the last, Solerina bounded clear to win by four lengths from Back In Front, with Prince Of Tara third.
Her owner John Bowe said: "I've never been as nervous before a race as I was today and never as happy afterwards. I closed my eyes at every hurdle.
"Gary said the enthusiasm is still there and all being well she'll go for a third win in a row in the Hatton's Grace at Fairyhouse (December 4th).
Edward O'Grady was delighted with Back In Front's performance after a long lay-off.
He said: "I was very pleased with that as he had been off for some time. I think he can reverse the form with Solerina in the Hatton's Grace."
O'Grady and Geraghty went one better when O'Muircheartaigh put up an impressive display to take the Bank Of Ireland "For Auction" Novice Hurdle.
Geraghty completed an 11-1 double on Romaha (6 to 1) in the Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle, although Johnny Murtagh was out of luck on Al Towd, his only ride of the day.
Over at Cheltenham, Jonjo O'Neill served notice of a return to centre stage with a double highlighted by the starring performance of Lingo in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle.
A disappointing campaign last season saw O'Neill's team ravaged by a mystery virus within his state-of-the-art Jackdaws Castle training complex.
But O'Neill and his landlord JP McManus were all smiles in the winner's enclosure after Lingo, making his first appearance on a racecourse for 680 days, ran out an impressive winner of the most competitive two-mile handicap hurdle to date this season.
The stable's double had been initiated in equally-forthright fashion when Black Jack Ketchum maintained his unbeaten record when marking himself out as a rising star in the Gideon Kasler Novices' Hurdle.
The Paul Nolan-trained Accordion Etoile emerged as clear favourite for the two-mile novices' crown after getting the best of a thrilling finish for the Independent Newspaper Novices' Chase. The gelding looked in trouble when McCoy pinched a couple of lengths lead on Tamarinbleu running to the final fence.
But John Cullen rousted his mount up and sent him in pursuit of the leader up the run-in, picking his rival up in the very final stride for a short-head verdict.
