Royal Rendezvous, near side, challenges Discordantly over the last © Photo Healy Racing
Top-weight Royal Rendezvous (12/1) got the better of Discordantly on the run-in of the Grade A handicap chase over an extended 2m5f.
This gave Willie Mullins four winners in a row on the card having landed all the Grade 1 contests through The Nice Guy Allaho and Facile Vega Paul Townend rode this winner in addition to The Nice Guy and Allaho. Patrick Mullins rode Facile Vega.
Last year's Galway Plate winner had to carry 11-12 and made sustained progress from the second last to challenge Discordantly at the final fence.
He led narrowly on the run-in and increased the margin close home to a length and three parts from the 14/1 runner-up. Snugsborough Hall (16/1) dropped to third after being headed at the last by Discordantly.
Paul Townend said: "Going to the last I was pretty confident once I got a jump.
"I got caught for room a little bit between four and three out and I just had to sit. When I got him out in the straight, and got clear road out in front of him, he started to motor. I knew if his jumping held together he was in with a live shout.
"What he did there was settled which he hadn't done before. He was good and smart down over the first but when Rachael and Philip wanted to go on I elected to just tuck in behind Rachael and he was happy out there.
"Jumping kept him in the race and his jumping has won it for him at the end of the day because it was a big weight-carrying performance.
"I've definitely had worse days, that's for sure! I'm very happy to be able to ride this level of horse and the two that came before him. It has been a good day."
Willie Mullins added: “Paul said he’s settling. He’s always very forward going but today when he got a bit of cover he settled into a rhythm and he was able to delay his challenge.
"I don't think so (go for Galway Plate again), it would be a bit of an ask. We will see where we go with him. There's not much else - Kerry National maybe but that is over three miles but prize-money wise that would look the race for him. That's a long way away."
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
