Flirting Lesa just leads over the last with On The Fringe and Aine O'Connor nearest the camera © Photo Healy Racing
The evergreen On The Fringe made it back-to-back wins in the Join The Listowel Races Supporters Club Hunters Chase.
A dual winner of both the Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and the Aintree equivalent, the Enda Bolger trained fourteen-year-old was last seen finishing a good second to It Came To Pass at Killarney last month.
Expected to go one place better this afternoon, the son of Exit To Nowhere was sent off the clear 5/4 favourite, with chief rival Rewritetherules earlier pulled out due to a stone bruise.
Ridden by Aine O'Connor, the JP McManus owned victor was pushed along in fifth entering the straight.
He got the perfect run up the inner from two and out and kept on best from the last, going on to score by two and a quarter lengths. All Hell Let Loose (10/3) finished second for the Hyde's, while Flirting Lesa (12/1), who led for much of the contest, was a head back in third.
Bolger said afterwards: "I was praying this rain wasn't going to come as he loves good ground and I think he's even fitter today than he was at Killarney as he has taken so long to get fit.
"He is 14 but at home he is showing us he is seven.
"I said to Frank Berry leaving the back straight 'we are cooked here' but fair play to Aine what a ride as she persevered and all the gaps came and a good jump at the last put it to bed.
"We'll never say never but we'll have a long summer to think about it (possible retirement)."
Frank Berry, racing manager to JP McManus, added: "When he straightened up he seemed to pick up and pinged the last two and it got him there in the end.
"He has been half-retiring for the last few years but keeps coming back and loves this place. He'll tell us (when to retire him) and he has been in great form but he's not able for the better hunter chases nowadays.
"It would do you good to see him."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
