Leopardstown report:Martin Lynch's Oscar Time pulled out all the stops to run out a ready winner of the Paddy Power Chase. Robbie Power was content to sit off the pace on the 10-1 chance, but moved into contention on the back straight and was one of a number of horses in the firing line on the home turn.
Leanne and Paddy Pub tried to stay with the winner, but he skipped clear after the last to readily hold the running-on Siegemaster.
Lynch said: “This has been the plan since last year and today was the day.
“He had a bad fall at the end of last season so we started him out over hurdles to get his confidence back but it then became the plan to set him up for a nice handicap chase, which this certainly is.
“I am surprised how well he did it but I guess the weather may have helped as I couldn’t over-train him!”
The Willie Mullins-trained Golden Silver claimed the scalp of Tranquil Sea in the Grade One Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase.
Sent off at 5-2 on the back of a successful return at Cork, the seven-year-old took it up five fences from home when leader Watson Lake began to back-pedal.
Tranquil Sea, the 11-10 favourite, went with him, and may even have headed him between the last two obstacles, but Paul Townend had not asked his mount for maximum effort and when he did, Golden Silver quickened to inflict a three-and-a-half-length defeat on Edward O’Grady’s charge.
Hollo Ladies was a shock 25-1 winner of the Grade One paddypowerpoker.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle to complete a great weekend for the Noel Meade team.
The four-year-old got the better of a titanic tussle with Saludos to prevail by a neck under Davy Condon, who had steered the stable’s Go Native to victory in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.
Well-backed favourite Some Present was disappointing and one of the first beaten.
Prince Of Fire set the track alight to earn high praise from trainer Charlie Swan after making all in the paddypowertrader.com Maiden Hurdle.
The 100-30 chance brought solid form to the table having finished in arrears of Sweeps Hill and Some Present on his sole outing over timber, and that proved good enough to deny 5-4 favourite Grey Soldier by four lengths.
Swan said: “He will be the best horse I have ever trained in time. Whatever he does over hurdles is a bonus and I look forward to him going chasing.
“He is a real jumper and has loads of gears. I will find a winners-of-one race somewhere for him next.”
Sword Fish opened his account at the third time of asking in a heart-stopping renewal of the paddypowerbingo.com 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle as day two of Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting got underway.
Five of the 17 runners came down in unison early on including the well-fancied Big Game Hunter, and it was Ruby Walsh aboard Secant Star who forged clear off the turn to hold a handy advantage at the final flight.
Willie Mullins’ import crumpled on landing though, and hampered winner-in-waiting Save My Blushes when scrambling to his feet.
Their coming together left the way clear down the outside for Tony McCoy to drive 3-1 favourite Sword Fish into the lead and the JP McManus-owned juvenile was four lengths clear of Firm Foundations crossing the line, with Save My Blushes third.
Meanwhile, tomorrow's third day of the is subject to a 7.30am inspection due to the threat of frost.
The feature race on a seven-race card is the Lexus Chase, featuring among others Notre Pere, Joncol, Cooldine and the Paul Nicholls trained What A Friend.
LEOPARDSTOWN RESULTS
Going: Yielding (Yielding to Soft in places)
12.25
1 Sword Fish (AP McCoy) 3-1 Fav
2 Firm Foundations (P Townend) 25-1
3 Save My Blushes (M Darcy) 7-1
4 Tara Warrior (J McCarthy) 25-1
16 Ran
Non Runner: Tresilian.
12.55
1 Prince Of Fire (DJ Casey) 10-3
2 Grey Soldier (DN Russell) 5-4 Fav
3 Guzzle An Go (J McNamara) 16-1
4 Paddy O Dee (P Townend) 25-1
21 Ran
1.25
1 Golden Silver (P Townend) 5/2
2 Tranquil Sea (AJ McNamara) 11/10
Non-Runner: Forpadydeplasterer
7 Ran
1.55
1 Hollo Ladies (DJ Condon) 25-1
2 Saludos (RM Power) 12-1
3 Fionnegas (R Walsh) 10-3
4 Luska Lad (IRE) (4) 5 11 10 D J Casey 12-1
8 Ran
2.30
1 Bobsthewizard (DJ Casey) 5-1
2 Conclave (R Walsh) 7-1
3 Prince Erik (WJ Lee) 16-1
4 If I Had Him (SW Flanagan) 16-1
12 Ran
Non Runners: A New Story, Ramsden Boy
3.05
1 Oscar Time (RM Power) 10/1
2 Siegemaster (DN Russell) 10/1
3 Leanne (RC Colgan) 33/1
4 Paddy Pub (BT O'Connell) 16/1
5th Askthemaster (PT Enright) 14/1
3.40
1 On His Own (Mr RP Quinlan) 3/1
2 Some Target (Mr PW Mullins) 11/10
3 Portrait King (Mr NM Kelly) 20/1
Non-Runners: The Hard Hat, Yes Tom