Tony McCoy and Fota Island took advantage of a below-par display from Central House to win the Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse this afternoon.
Central House, who was sent off the 4-5 favourite, made the running under Paul Carberry, but was joined by his three rivals at the third-last, where Fota Island went on.
Any chance Central House had vanished when he hit the second-last hard, after which Carberry allowed Dessie Hughes' horse to come home in his own time, eventually finishing last of the four runners. He was later found to be lame post-race.
Fota Island (11-8), trained by Mouse Morris and owned by JP McManus, went on to score comfortably by four lengths from Old Flame. William Hill cut Fota Island to 7-1 from 10-1 for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham and eased Central House out to 16-1 from 10s. Cashmans go the same price about the winner for the Festival highlight from 8s, while Coral were more impressed trimming him to 6-1 from 8-1.
McCoy was completing a quick double having taken the previous race, the Mulhuddart Novice Hurdle, on the Joseph Crowley-trained Firth Of Forth (1-2), also owned by McManus.
Morris said: "He can't do any more than win. He jumped well out of that ground. When I walked the course earlier it was a bit tacky and I thought we might only be second. He's on track now for the Champion Chase and he will go straight there. He's a better horse on better ground, we know that from the form book. Tony was happy as well."
Our Ben gave the form of Nickname a boost with a cosy success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase. Beaten 10 lengths by Martin Brassill's rising star at Leopardstown a month ago, the seven-year-old was always handy in the hands of Ruby Walsh.
Walsh, fresh from riding a five-timer at Wincanton on Saturday, oozed confidence on Willie Mullins' charge and sent him to the front on the home turn with three fences to jump. Staying on well, the 4-6 shot won by two and a half lengths from Lissbonney Project, with Some Timbering third.
Mullins said: "I was a bit worried at the fifth-last. He seemed to fall asleep a bit, but once Ruby gave him a squeeze he quickened up. This trip was a bit short for him but he will have gained a lot of experience from the run and Ruby was happy with him.
"He'll go next for the Dr. P.J. Moriarty Chase at Leopardstown on February 12th and then hopefully to Cheltenham for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase."
Irish bookmakers Cashmans left Our Ben unchanged at 14-1 for that race, while Hills cut him to 14-1 from 20-1. Walsh went on to cap a memorable weekend by completing a double on Rare Ouzel, the 2-1 favourite, in the Dunshaughlin Handicap Chase for Tony Martin.