Brave Inca gained his revenge on Macs Joy to claim glory in a thrilling AIG Europe Champion Hurdle on a star-studded card at Leopardstown.
Beaten a short-head by his old rival 12 months ago, Brave Inca turned the tables with a hard-fought triumph under Tony McCoy.
The 6-5 favourite, trained by Colm Murphy, disputed the lead throughout and was kept up to his work by the champion jockey to hold Jessica Harrington's charge by a length, with Golden Cross back in third.
But the Dessie Hughes-trained Hardy Eustace was a major disappointment and trailed home well-beaten.
Sole British raider The French Furze made the early running closely followed by Brave Inca, who made his bid for glory once Nicky Richards' veteran found the pace too hot in the final half-mile.
Hardy Eustace looked a big danger at one stage for Conor O'Dwyer, but the dual Champion Hurdle winner found nothing in the straight.
VC Bet cut Brave Inca to 5-2 from 7-2 for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle and Macs Joy to 6-1 from 16-1. Hardy Eustace was pushed out to 6-1 from 5-2.
William Hill go 9-4 Brave Inca (from 7-2), 7-2 Hardy Eustace (from 9-4) and 6-1 Macs Joy (from 8).
Murphy said: "He was very good today and had to dig really deep. He's had a hard race, but keeps coming out of them so well this season.
"He will have a break now and then it will be all systems go for Cheltenham."
However, McCoy could be required to ride Lingo for Jonjo O'Neill and JP McManus in the Champion Hurdle and Murphy added: "Tony knows him so well and he knows when to push the buttons.
"It's a big advantage to have him but I've been afraid to ask him about Cheltenham as he has his commitments. But hopefully he will able to ride.
"They are both die-hard characters and suit one another."
McCoy added: "He's a very good horse. He's very brave, has loads of class and is a lot quicker than most people give him credit for.
O'Dwyer felt that his mount had run flat. "I was never happy and he ran flat. He made a mistake at the third and that is not like him because he is normally so precise.
"I then asked him to get involved but there was nothing there and I just eased him down the straight."
Earlier on the card, Champion Bumper hero Missed That held off the persistent challenge of Arteea to land the Baileys Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup Novice Chase.
Justified and McCoy went on six fences from home in the Grade One clash, but were joined after the third-last by Missed That and Arteea.
The pair went clear at the last with 3-1 chance Missed That, trained by Willie Mullins, finding more for David Casey to win by three-quarters of a length.
Justified was third, but 11-8 favourite Nickname was pulled up after losing all chance with a bad mistake down the far side. He was later found to have scoped abnormally.
Mullins was understandably all smiles after greeting Missed That in the winner's enclosure. "He did that nicely and I'm delighted with him," he said.
"David gave him a great ride and asked him to go at the right time."