Saint Roi (nearside) comes with his winning run under Mark Walsh© Photo Healy Racing
Saint Roi came from last to first to open his account over fences in the Brand New Racing Post App Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
Fourth in the Irish Champion Hurdle, the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle last season, the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old had found the reopposing Fil Dor four lengths too strong on his chasing debut at Navan last month.
The pair again dominated the betting, with Fil Dor the 8-11 favourite to confirm his superiority and Saint Roi a 3-1 shot for Willie Mullins and Mark Walsh. Visionarian gave a bold sight in front for much of the Grade One contest, with a couple of jumping mistakes late in the back straight putting Fil Dor on the back foot.
Walsh, meanwhile, bided his time aboard Saint Roi before producing him to challenge for the lead approaching the final fence.
Visionarian, the 25-1 rank outsider, did his best to make a race of it, but Saint Roi’s class kicked in on the level and he proved two and a quarter lengths too strong in the end.
Paddy Power cut the winner to 14-1 from 25-1 for the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham in March.
Mullins, saddling his third winner on the card, said: “I thought he ran very well against a horse that had already had a run in Navan. If he’d won we’d be coming here anyway so rather than running in another beginners chase, I thought let him have a crack at a good prize.
“He jumps well enough and he’d schooled very well in the meantime. We decided to change the tactics. JP (McManus) was wondering would he be better waited with and Mark agreed. He’s a nice prospect for the rest of the season.
“He’s not the biggest horse in the world but he jumps very efficiently. He’s also a lot more sensible over a fence than a hurdle.
“He had a hurdle rating good enough to run in championship races but was probably not a champion hurdler himself.”
"We went a good gallop. I made the running on this lad the last day and I set it up for Jack (Kennedy) on Fil Dor," said Mark Walsh.
"In fairness it was J P (McManus, owner) that said why don't we go behind him this time, and follow him, and see could we beat him for that. It's worked.
"He used to be very keen but fences have settled him down. He's very good to jump, he's very clever.
"I knew Jack was in trouble. He made a mistake at the third last, the ditch, and I knew turning in he was in trouble.
"I just had to kick on going to the last to make sure I got a good jump. I went in and popped it and he galloped all the way to the line.
"Fences seem to have settled him down a bit. I was going around there on a long rein where usually he'd be running away with you.
"He's getting older and he knows he can't rubber down to a fence because he won't get away with it.
"He's copped on a bit now, he's relaxed. He loves jumping - he's a great jumper.
"Everything went to plan for me. When it goes to plan it's great and it's great to get a winner on the first day, it just takes a bit of pressure off for the rest of the week."
J.W. Kennedy, rider of Fil Dor (FR), trained by Gordon Elliott, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount made a bad mistake at the third last fence.
