The Willie Mullins-trained Franco De Port caused a surprise with victory in the Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
Sent off 8/1 in the hands of Bryan Cooper, Franco De Port was ridden with restraint and allowed the market principals - namely Felix Desjy and Darver Star - to fight for early supremacy, before coming through to pick it up at the last and win by four and a half lengths.
The Grade One was run at a strange tempo, with Felix Desjy making most of the running before losing his pitch soon after halfway and then making a bad mistake three fences from the finish.
He was still on the scene as Darver Star them then into the final bend but he cut across the strong-travelling Embittered which appeared to really take the stuffing out of Joseph O'Brien's horse.
Darver Star stuck at it out in front but he was joined by the winner at the last and couldn't respond when Cooper's mount was asked for maximum effort on the run-in. Felix Desjy - sent off the 15/8 favourite - was ultimately a disappointing third.
Blackbow, ridden by David Mullins, was the shorter of the Mullins pair in the betting but he departed when falling at the third fence, after which horse and jockey were quickly to their feet.
Mullins said: “That was a nice surprise. He jumped great and capitalised on the very fast early pace which seemed to catch out a lot of the runners.
“Bryan was terrific, just keeping him together and keeping him jumping. He took what was left to him after they went too fast early on.
“He could stick at that trip, but you’d obviously look at a longer trip for him, maybe two and a half. I’d imagine the Dublin Racing Festival will be the plan, we’ll see how he comes out of this race today.”
He also had praise for the winning rider, saying: “Bryan is a top jockey who took his chance today and took it very well.
“We had a fair idea the way the race might work out. We played for that and it worked out.”
Sky Bet cut Franco De Port to 20/1 from 50/1 for the Sporting Life Arkle at Cheltenham and the firm's Michael Shinners said: "In what looked a hot race Franco De Port did very well to win. He stayed on strongly and is now 20/1 from 50/1 for the Sporting Life Arkle at the Festival."
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