False Economy recorded his eighth career success, and his third at Limerick, as he took the Christmas Racing Festival Hurdle under Paul Townend for Michael Hourigan.

Sent off the second choice of punters at 7/2, the eight-year-old son of Orpen was held up in last in the early stages, before moving into fourth at the fourth flight.

He made headway into second entering the straight and he hit the front before the last, keeping on well on the run-in to score by three and a half lengths. Un Beau Roman who was sent off the 8/11 favourite, attempted to make all under Ruby Walsh for Willie Mullins, but he had no answer once headed, and he had to settle for second, while Luska Lad was a further three and a half lengths back in third.

Michael Hourigan said afterwards: "Small fields suit him. I spotted this race last week but then the rain came.

"If it was on the outside track I wouldn’t have ran him. It can get very dry on the inside and they were only running on water that was splashing today.

"He had a fall here (October of last year) and chipped a bone off his hock and it took a long time to get him right.

"What he wants is nice ground or summer soft and he might be left off now."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes