Once Courtncatcher loomed large on the scene at the last in Gowran he powered away from it for a clear-cut success in the two and a half mile handicap hurdle.

The 4lb raise in the weights he got for winning in Bellewstown in August didn’t impede his chances today. Andrew McNamara was in the plate and was content to race in mid-division and allow the six-year-old to ease into the race.

"That is the best performance he has ever put in for me. He dropped me going to the start, but I will forgive him for that! He jumped great," Andrew McNamara explained.

There was certainly a bit of interest in Patrick Duffy's Courtncatcher throughout the day. He was backed from 7/1 to 11/2 in the morning and from 13/2 to 11/2 in the ring. Coolmill though had plenty of euro on his back from 6/1 in early trading down to an SP of 7/2. Despite leading and still holding the advantage coming to the last, he had no answer to Courtncatcher’s finishing burst on the run-in. He duly finished second, two and three quarter lengths ahead of Mireya (5/1), the other horse in the race to have won on her last outing.

Glenconkeyne, who was the forecast favourite, was a non-runner due to being lame. Harold’s Cross and Mister Benedictine also didn’t participate due to the going.

Additional reporting by Donal Murphy