Sir Des Champs leads Long Run over the last© Photo Healy Racing
< Sir Des Champs (2-1 favourite) confirmed his Cheltenham superiority over Long Run to win a thrilling renewal of the Bet Online With thetote.com Punchestown Gold Cup.
Second and third behind Bobs Worth last month, the two classy stayers dominated the finish here and it was Willie Mullins' star who emerged three quarters of a length to the good.
Long Run had led for much of the way, with Quito De La Roque tracking and Sir Des Champs not far behind, but Davy Russell seized the opportunity to kick a couple of lengths clear after Sir Des Champs jumped to the front three-out.
Long Run battled bravely all the way to the line and First Lieutenant produced another brilliant effort in third, but the winner had enough in the tank.
The step up to three miles brought about significant improvement in Morning Assembly (14-1), who took the Grade One Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle for Pat Fahy and Davy Condon.
Willie Mullins was well represented with Ballycasey and Inish Island but Morning Assembly beat the latter by three and a quarter lengths after taking it up before two-out.
Condon doubled up for the day on the Tom Mullins-trained Klepht (12-1), who won the valuable Guiness Handicap Steeplechase by two and a quarter lengths from Tranquil Sea
Barry Geraghty had to be at his very best to get Sabrina Harty's Dalasiri (6-1) home in front in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle, while Jane Mangan guided David Pipe's raider The Liquidator (4-1) to victory in the Betdaq The Peoples Exchange Champion INH Flat Race.
The vastly experienced Beau Michael (25-1) claimed a seventh career success over timber in the Martinstown Opportunity Series Final Handicap Hurdle.
Adrian McGuinness' versatile nine-year-old took it up before the turn in and found plenty for pressure under David Splaine to hold Hazariban by a neck.
