Is Love Alive added to a point-to-point success at Durrow last year when taking the opening 2m4f maiden hurdle at Leopardstown under Mikey Fogarty.

The Paul Nolan-trained gelding, in the money on all four previous hurdle outings but sent off an unconsidered 20/1 chance here, struck the front entering the straight.

His two nearest rivals, Emperor Of Exmoor and Shamsikhan both made mistakes at the last, and Fogarty’s mount kept on well to beat the well-backed former by three quarters of a length. Thekingofconnemara lost his place with a mistake at the penultimate flight but finished with great effect on the run-in to snatch third a further two and a quarter lengths adrift.

Nolan said, “The bit better ground helped. He seemed to be carrying his head high in the closing stages before and was stopping a bit. The ground helped him wind wise, and that’s the reason for the bit of improvement.

“He won a point-to-point for Gordon (Elliott), and he looks a chasing type. He’s a bit backward and is only five, and should improve physique wise and get a bit stronger.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson