The well-known jumps trainer Mouse Morris hit the black type bulls-eye at Leopardstown yesterday evening when Rostropovich won the Saval Beg Stakes.

Media Puzzle was backed as if defeat was out of the question in the Listed event and with his owner Dr Michael Smurfit watching, the 4 to 6 hotpot appeared to be in control as Rostropovich cut out the pace for the top jumps rider David Casey.

Everything seemed to be going as expected, except the jumping brigade were in no mood to submit. Rostropovich kept up a relentless gallop, didn't come back, and hard as Pat Smullen tried on the favourite, he still came up a length and a half short.

The grey winner was reverting from hurdles but had cost his owners, who include the Grand Prix owner Eddie Jordan, €180,000 after a notable flat career last season that included a fourth in the Irish Leger. And his double-jobbing might not be over.

"If he is well and if the ground is good, he will run in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot," grinned Morris who, when asked to remember his last winner on the level, said: "We are talking ages."

Apart from the feature, it was business as usual although the Ballydoyle team failed to score with Pietra Dura managing only third to the Jim Bolger trained winner Alluring Park in the opener.

A daughter of the Irish Champion Stakes heroine Park Express, the winner was described as "physically precocious and one for the future" by her trainer.

Michael Kinane secured a winner when driving Don't Surrender to a neck defeat of Newpark Lady in the sprint handicap and Bowmans Crossing was a much easier scoring favourite in the auction maiden under Seamus Heffernan.

Media Puzzle wasn't the only hotpot to fail. Josh's Pearl, a daughter of the Breeders Cup winner Ridgewood Pearl, could only manage fourth to Reina Blanca in the mile maiden and the winner will probably be sent to Gowran Park next.

"She is in the Victor McCalmont," said trainer Michael Grassick. "She should have been a decent third (to Speirbhean) in the Guineas trial here. She was murdered in the race."

Stay Cool came through in the closing stages of the seven-furlong handicap to beat Royal South with Irish Lady third.