Willie Mullins said: “He did it the hard way. We knew there was going to be a good pace. We weren't afraid to make it but anyway we weren't allowed.
“He jumped and galloped and he has lots of stamina. You can depend on his jumping and that's what keeps him in the race. Stamina then won it for him.
“He'll probably come back here for the Deloitte.
“Ruby's (Riven Light) just wasn't jumping behind but I think that horse ran a cracker and if we can get his jumping right he could be a force.
“It was good for my owner (Nick Peacock). I think he is just back from two or three months holidays.
“I thought he maybe just met Airlie Beach on a good day in Fairyhouse. Certainly today I felt he travelled a lot better the whole way.
“It's also fantastic for Paul to get a Grade One winner. It's not often Ruby picks the wrong one. I'm delighted for Paul.”
Paul Townend added: "He ran a nice race in Fairyhouse in the Royal Bond, he just bumped into Willie's other one (Airlie Beach). He came on for that I thought.
"It was a proper race, a true run race. It was a good gallop and he jumped super and he ground it out. He was very tough. He travelled a bit sweeter today. Maybe it was the ground or what, I don't know. He definitely carried me a lot better today."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
