Long Dog in action at Leopardstown© Photo Healy Racing
Long Dog landed his second Grade One success by dictating from the front and finding plenty in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle.
This was Long Dog's sixth win in a row and when last seen he took the Grade One Royal Bond at Fairyhouse.
Punters came for him as they forced his price down from 3/1 to 9/4 favourite.
Ruby Walsh sent him into the lead in this two mile contest and the pair asserted before the last as their rivals all came off the bridle in behind.
It was Tombstone and Bryan Cooper who wound up a challenge to cut into the lead on the run-in. The 3/1 shot closed to within three quarters of a length but couldn't catch the winner. Petit Mouchoir ran a creditable race to be the same distance behind in third at 10/1 under Jacques Ricou for Willie Mullins.
Willie Mullins said: "His experience was a big help, and he'd no trouble staying or jumping. He could come back for the Deloitte but he's had a busy time so we'll have to see.
"He's learning all the time, and the only reason we ran him in the summer was because he missed last season."
Ruby Walsh added: "He was very tough. I never felt like I was travelling that well. I kind of thought I was going as fast as I wanted to be going but he stuck at it really well.
"He took one or two chances but I was having to sort of throw him at hurdles to hold my position. He was brave at the second hurdle past here and the third or fourth last but when I caught a hold of him at the back of the second last he seemed to find another gear and from there home he stuck at it really, really well.
"He's won his last six. He started in Sligo and has ended up at Leopardstown at Christmas. It's brilliant. He's won over two (miles) five in Limerick so he can go up in trip. It was a tough performance."
This gave Mullins an across-the-card double as his Outlander won the Grade Two novice chase at Limerick.
Paddy Power cut Long Dog from 20/1 to 12/1 for the Neptune.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
