Willie Mullins took the first two and brother Tony stepped in to take race number three at Navan as Battling Boru sprung a 16/1 surprise under Bryan Cooper.

Cooper (his second ride back from injury) made the most of his opportunity as Danny Mullins, the intended rider of Battling Boru, was fog-bound in England.

Odds-on favourite Down Under was one-paced and didn't get the clearest of passages at the business end but Battling Boru had most to fear from Beckett Rock in the closing stages, the margin between the pair at the line being a length and a half.

Tony Mullins trains Battling Boru for the Athlone grouping, the Shoot A Hoop Syndicate, and he said: "Maybe the ground was wrong for him at Gowran the last day.

"I was devastated – the syndicate had their annual meeting that night and it was a very subdued affair.

"I can't explain what happened then as he'd been working well. He done today what I thought he'd do at Gowran.

"Bryan says he jumped great and he'll head for something over Christmas now. It was a lovely surprise." (GC & EM)