Ronald Pump sails over the final fence© Photo Healy Racing
Ronald Pump surged past market leader Bapaume on the approach to the last and readily moved clear to win the beginners' chase at Fairyhouse.
Bapaume was a former Grade 1 winner over hurdles and the market expected him to make a winning start to his steeplechasing career as he went off even-money favourite.
Once headed he weakened out of contention to come home seventh.
Ronald Pump shot clear at the last and took the honours by eight lengths at 10/1 with Adam Short in the plate. Captain Cj (16/1) kept on in second without threatening with Speak Easy a neck away in third at 6/1.
Trainer Matthew Smith said: “Obviously he won here in his last handicap hurdle off 136 and went up to 145. We could have gone for an easier beginners chase but we said we'd see how good he was.
“I told Adam to go out there and be confident on him because I think he's a right good horse.
“He switched off lovely there today and when Adam asked him he just quickened. I'm delighted with it.
“He's won on better ground all last year, he's versatile and will go on any sort of ground.
“He's a proper little horse. He jumped brilliant and travelled away lovely.
“Obviously Bapaume is a serious horse and you couldn't be coming here mad confident. I was hopeful and I'm not overly shocked to be honest.
“We could look at a good race now for him. Today we just wanted to get around safely and enough it.
“We could look at three miles as the further the better for him. He's an out and out stayer.
“If this was run yesterday I probably would have entered him for the Grade 2 on Sunday but because it was today I was thinking if I had entered him and he'd flopped I'd look silly.
“There is no panic with him. I think he's a nice horse and he did that nicely anyway.
“It's great that he switched off well enough there today as he was a bit keen last year but he's grown up a bit.”
This actually brought up a hat-trick for Ronald Pump who won a handicap chase at Cork in March and a Grade B novice handicap hurdle at this track in April.
Paddy Power gave him a first show of 33/1 for the RSA Chase.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
