Slieveardagh benefited from the drop in class to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Chase at Leopardstown today, winning for trainer Edward O'Grady and completing a double for jockey Barry Geraghty.

Carrying the familiar colours of Simon Davis, the son of King's Theatre jumped to the front at the final fence before staying on strongly on the run-in for an easy win over Donnas Palm

Afterwards O'Grady, out of luck with nose runner-up The Way We Were in the previous race, said “Slieveardagh shouldn't really have been running against Donnas Palm (the Noel Meade trained runner-up) handicap-wise but I thought Donnas Palm had a very hard race at Navan and he is probably better at Navan than he is here.

“My horse is better on that ground but I don't know where I'll go from here. He has a preference for going left handed, which doesn't help with Punchestown and Fairyhouse and while he is in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham, I doubt he'll go there. Paddy Power Bookmakers subsequently cut Slieveardagh to 12/1 (from 16s) for the Grand Annual Chase and to 14/1 (from 20s) for the Pulteney Handicap Chase also at Cheltenham.