Back In Front blotted his copybook when falling on his seasonal reappearance in the Wilderness Chase at Clonmel yesterday. The 4 to 7 favourite was settled just off the early pace by Paddy Flood and had been jumping fluently until getting into the roots of the ninth fence, giving his jockey no chance of keeping the partnership intact.

Conor O'Dwyer and 7 to 1 chance Hear The Echo had taken up the running approaching the fifth and took full advantage of the favourite's mishap to land a very easy success from Paul Nolan's Coljon.

Despite jumping to the left at the final obstacle, the Mouse Morris-trained five-year-old had too much class for the rest of the field and hardly broke sweat in carrying the famous War Of Attrition colours to victory.

Hear The Echo was introduced by Cashmans as a 33 to 1 chance to win the Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.