Jessica Harrington and Robbie Power continued their incredible run of form as Woodland Opera claimed top honours in the EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase at Punchestown.
The combination has been riding the crest of a wave ever since Gold Cup hero Sizing John starred in a Cheltenham Festival treble last month.
Harrington and Power subsequently teamed up to land the Irish Grand National with Our Duke and have enjoyed another brilliant week at Punchestown, with Harrington saddling four winners and Power riding four winners heading into day four.
Woodland Opera was the well-supported 11-4 favourite for his big-race assignment and was always travelling strongly.
Once the front-running Dicosimo folded, Woodland Opera moved to the front and he had enough in the tank to repel the Willie Mullins-trained Arbre De Vie by three-quarters of a length.
Power said: “I said to Mrs Cooper (owner) when I rode him back at Leopardstown in March he’d win this race and it’s great when a plan comes together.
“He’s usually a very good jumper. He was a bit novicey at the fourth-last, but at the last three fences he was brilliant when I needed him.
“He’s a gorgeous big horse.”
Harrington said: “He was the one horse I fancied all week as he won here last year beating some good horses.
“He probably doesn’t get home over two and a half (miles) on soft ground, but he does on that ground. He just made one mistake at the fourth-last but other than that he was foot perfect.
“I don’t know if we will put him away or not. We haven’t discussed it. He hasn’t had very much running this year, and he had to have another wind op.
“I can’t believe how well things are going — long may it go on.
“The horses are looking well and are running well. They appear to be healthy and if you’ve got healthy, sound horses you can go and win races.”
Definite Ruby provided Gordon Elliott with an important winner in the Hanlon Concrete European Breeders Fund Glencarraig Lady Mares Handicap Chase.
The title-chasing trainer held a lead of over E400,000 over perennial champion Mullins at the start of the week, but that had been whittled down to a shade over E100,000 euro prior to this two-mile-five-furlong contest.
Definite Ruby was a 7-1 shot to follow up her victory of 12 months ago and was always in a good position behind the leaders under Jack Kennedy.
The nine-year-old moved smoothly to the front rounding the home turn and passed the post comfortably clear of 4-1 favourite Slowmotion.
“She’s a star of a horse. She won the same race last year, she was carrying a lot more weight this year, but she’s so tough,” said Kennedy.
“It’s great to have a winner here. I’ve had three falls in the past three days and I was stood down yesterday, so it’s great to get a change of luck.”
Elliott said: “She won the race last year and we said we would come back for it.
“I’d say she didn’t stay in the Ulster National, and we trained her for here then.
“The owner is very patient and Jack gave her a great ride.”
The Cullentra handler revealed former jockey Davy Condon will be joining his team as an assistant trainer next season, replacing Olly Murphy, who is to return to Britain to start his own training career.
“Davy Condon is going to assist us. He will be a massive addition to the place as he’s a very good work rider, and he’s going to be in charge of all the schooling of the horses,” said Elliott.
“He’s been passed to ride out after his injury, and all is okay with him.
“Obviously Ollie is going home and I have Busty Almond, and Davy is going to assist him. It’s a big team effort and Simon McGonagle is my right-hand man. He’s the head man.”
On The Fringe could only finish a distant fifth when chasing a sixth victory in the Star Best For Racing Coverage Champion Hunters Chase.
Enda Bolger’s chaser has had few peers in this sphere over the years, not only for winning this race on five occasions, but also for completing the Cheltenham-Aintree-Punchestown hunter chase treble in each of the last two years.
He returned to Punchestown on a retrieval mission this time around, having managed only fourth place at Cheltenham before pulling up at Aintree, but the 13-8 favourite was never able to get on terms and was ultimately well-beaten.
There was a thrilling climax to the extended three-mile contest, with 4-1 shot Balnaslow and Derek O’Connor narrowly getting the better of a protracted duel with Mendip Express.
O’Connor said: “It’s a tremendous feeling, what a wonderful horse.
“He was so competitive in Cheltenham for a long way and didn’t stay the trip (finished fifth) and he was flying home in Aintree (finished second), so I was quietly confident three miles was his trip.
“I stayed wide and he jumped brilliant. He was tired over the last but he gave me everything.
“It’s a wonderful achievement by Graham McKeever (trainer). He bought this horse from Gigginstown out of the dispersal in Doncaster in September and now he’s the champion hunter chaser.”
McKeever said: “It’s unbelievable. He’s a tough horse.
“He went to Cheltenham and Aintree and ran massive races. To come back here and win is unbelievable and the horse deserved it.
“He’s a great horse to have in the yard and the man on his back never gave up either.”
Willie and Patrick Mullins completed trebles on the day with Montalbano in the Donohue Marquees Novice Hurdle.
The father and son combination had already teamed up to land both the Betdaq Punchestown Champion Hurdle and the Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle with Wicklow Brave (12-1) and Bacardys (10-1) respectively, and Montalbano was 11-4 to complete the hat-trick.
Much like he did on Wicklow Brave, Patrick Mullins sent Montalbano into a clear lead in the back straight, but he looked booked for second after stablemate and 2-1 favourite Riven Light hit the front on the run to the final flight.
However, Montalbano rallied on the run-in and got back up in determined fashion.
The one-two for Mullins senior completed an excellent day’s work and meant he heads into the final day of the season with a significant lead over title rival Gordon Elliott.
Patrick Mullins, meanwhile, is now two just winners behind Jamie Codd in the race to be crowned champion amateur.
Mullins jnr chased an incredible four-timer in the concluding GVA Donal O’Buachalla Property Advisors Flat Race aboard the David Pipe-trained 5-2 favourite Warthog, but after making much of the running, he faded into sixth place.
Victory went to Dermot Anthony McLoughlin's 8-1 shot Canardier under Mark O'Hare, who just managed to repel the late surge of the Codd-ridden Its All Guesswork.
Codd would have sealed the amateur title with a win as Mullins has only two rides on Saturday.
