Rebecca Curtis recorded her first winner in Ireland as Mystical Knight landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle at Navan.

The 2m7f event developed into something of a sprint in the straight, with odds-on favourite General Principle sent on after three out by Bryan Cooper.

However Barry Geraghty got a really good response when asking Mystical Knight to challenge at the final flight.

The 2/1 chance stayed on strongly on the far rail to eventually prevail by half a length, with Oscar Lantern 12 lengths back in third.

Rebecca Curtis’ partner Gearoid Costelloe said, “It’s Rebecca’s first Irish winner and it’s nice to have it for JP as he’s such a great supporter of ours. He’ll make a lovely chaser next season. He quickened up really well, and came on a lot from the Warwick run.”

Geraghty said, “He picked up well going to the last. It was a slowly run race and it’s difficult to know what to make of it.”