Mansony Crowned Champion

Mansony, a facile winner at Naas last month, proved himself a two-mile chaser of the highest calibre when landing the Grade 1 Kerrygold Champion Chase by a length and a quarter from Justified.

Davy Russell gave his mount, a 13/2 chance, a patient ride to come from the back of the field and took the lead after the final fence to claim victory.

'Today was his biggest test and he has come through it with flying colours,' said winning trainer Arthur Moore. 'He's always been a smashing horse and I'd been looking forward to running him in Grade 1 company.

'They went a really good pace and I was frightened he'd be done for speed early on but David gave him a great ride. He came from a similar position as when Native Upmanship just got done by Moscow Flyer in this race.

'He's won in Grade 1 company so we'll have to go that route next season and he'd stay two and a half miles fine.

'Mansony will progress more, he has a big heart and we haven't been hard on him, I think he has a lot of improvement to come.

'He's in the Guinness Gold Cup tomorrow but is unlikely to run - we'll see how he pulls out in the morning.'

Dusty Sheehy, trainer of runner-up Justified, said: 'I didn't think the winner was going to get there but he has and that's life. My horse will go to grass now and head down the Queen Mother route next season.

'Tony (McCoy) said he was running a hell of a race there last time but for making a mistake at the ditch.'

Newmill, the 13/8 favourite, finished fifth.

There was a dramatic finish to the Grade1 Ellier Developments Hanover Quay Champion Novice Chase when 6/4 favourite Aces Four came down at the final fence, gifting the race to 16/1 chance Offshore Account, who was travelling well at the time.

'The good thing is that we'll never know if he would have won anyway,' said Offshore Account's trainer Charlie Swan.

'He's a very good mover and won during the winter on the worst ground you could imagine so I thought he must have a bit of class.

'That's it for the season and the Gold Cup would have to be a little bit at the back of our minds next year. He travelled very well and is a horse that will never win by too far because he's always late getting to the front.'

Winning rider Denis O'Regan added: 'I think I would have won anyway, I took a pull turning for home.'

Aces Four walked away after his fall but jockey Graham Lee was taken to Naas Hospital for an x-ray of a suspected fractured left elbow.

Gonebeyondrecall, who finished third on his only point-to-point start at Belharbour on February 11, made an impressive debut under Rules when running away (by nine lengths) with the Goffs Land Rover Bumper by nine lengths under Derek O'Connor. The winner, the well-backed 3/1 favourite, is owned and trained by Noel Glynn.

Crowd Up

Yesterday's attendance on the first day of the Irish National Hunt Festival at Punchestown was 17,974, up 16 per cent on the same day in 2006.