RACING:Schindlers Hunt, fourth in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, gained handsome compensation in the Tattersalls Ireland Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse.
Making his first appearance in a handicap, the eight-year-old showed he was none the worse for his Cheltenham effort behind Master Minded.
Dessie Hughes' charge was giving Barry Geraghty a welcome victory after he needed stitches in his chin after being kicked following a tumble two days earlier.
Wearing blinkers for the first-time, Schindlers Hunt (11-2) came good to beat Wishwillow Lord by four lengths, with Mansony staying on for third.
Hughes, who completed a double with Dosco (16-1) in the Gleesons Meats Handicap Chase, said: "The horse redeemed himself and I'm very pleased with that. He ran too free at Cheltenham.
"Once he got into a rhythm I knew he would stay well. He's probably done enough for the season."
Geraghty added: "We thought he would travel better, but I suppose the edge may have gone off him a little bit because of his exertions exertions at Cheltenham. He got going halfway and jumped brilliantly. I knew turning in (he would win)."
Jered, trained by Noel Meade, landed the odds in great style to take the Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Novice Hurdle.
Given the office after jumping the second-last, the 4-5 shot quickly put plenty of daylight between himself and his rivals, with Paul Carberry having the luxury of easing down the six-year-old in the final 100 yards.
Made In Taipan, who had made the early running, rallied in the closing stages and had reduced Jered's deficit to two lengths at the line.
Meade said: "I've always thought a lot of him. He needs good ground and because of that he had an easy winter and we want to keep him fresh for Punchestown."
Looking ahead to next season, William Hill cut Jered to 25-1 from 40-1 for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
His owner JP McManus completed a quick double when Major Sensation struck off bottom weight in the Ladbrokes.com Handicap Hurdle.
Philip Carberry had the Arthur Moore-trained six-year-old in a handy position as Save The Bacon made the running before joining the leader at the second-last.
Jumping to the front at the last, the 14-1 chance went on to score cosily by two and a half lengths from Save The Bacon, with Brave Right third.
The runner-up's stablemate Psycho was a red-hot 13-8 favourite on the strength of his fast-finishing second in the County Hurdle, but he cut little ice on this occasion and trailed home eighth.
Moore said of the winner: "He has a great engine and a great heart. If this had been a 20,000 euro race we wouldn't have run him from 4lb out of the handicap, but it was such a big prize we decided to take our chance
"He's had two tough races, but he seems to thrive on them and we'll go to Punchestown now."
Paco Jack put up a determined display to hold the late challenge of Miss Fancy Pants in the Weatherbys Ireland GSB Hurdle.
Davy Russell set sail for home before the final turn after Altnadua had set the pace, but Paco Jack was chased over the last two flights by C'Est Ca, Miss Fancy Pants and Bouchard.
After C'Est Ca fluffed his lines with a mistake at the last it was Miss Fancy Pants who was the main danger, but Paco Jack (8-1), trained by Joe Crowley, kept on gamely to prevail by a neck. C'Est Ca stuck on well for third.
Crowley's assistant Damien Byrne said: "He's tough and stays all day. He goes to Punchestown for the big four-year-old race and on this performance he's entitled to take his chance.
"He was meant to go for the Fred Winter Handicap at Cheltenham, but the English handicapper gave him a mark of 128 so he didn't travel."