RACING/Leopardstown Festival, Third Day report: Beef Or Salmon's Lexus Chase defeat of his old nemesis Best Mate yesterday may have lit up the Leopardstown Christmas Festival, but it also assured there will be a red-hot furnace of anticipation between now and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

The usual Anglo-Irish rivalry would have guaranteed that anyway and there was enough encouragement for both camps yesterday to leave them fancying their chances when the two horses clash again in the race that matters most of all.

But more than a little edge will have been added to the brew by Paul Carberry's celebrations as he steered Beef Or Salmon to his seven-length defeat of the triple Gold Cup winner.

Carberry, whose blocking manoeuvre on Harbour Pilot in last year's blue riband had Best Mate's huge fan club almost passing out, looked behind him as he passed the post and waved to Jim Culloty in a manner that echoed Christophe Soumillon's controversial action when winning the 2003 French Derby on Dalakhani.

It had the masses in the stands roaring with approval but the stewards took a dim view of the gesture and had Carberry in front of them for his conduct.

The former champion jockey conceded the gesture "could have been considered unsporting and unnecessary" and apologised to all concerned. Carberry shook hands with Culloty but still received an official caution and warned that such behaviour would not be tolerated in the future.

It was a jarring note to a fascinating race that provoked wild celebrations as Beef Or Salmon won out for the first time in four starts against Best Mate.

Trainer Michael Hourigan had the satisfied air of a man whose convictions had been justified and predicted that even better is to come if he can secure a clear passage for the horse between now and Cheltenham.

"If I can get a clear run between now and the Hennessy, and then to Cheltenham, there will be a lot of improvement still in him," said Hourigan who was diplomacy itself as he pointed to Best Mate having to travel over for a race on ground he didn't like.

"He has won three Gold Cups and he is still young enough," he said. "He also had to get stitches in his head from a bang he got on the boat. If you had stitches you wouldn't be that happy either!"

There was a similarly diplomatic line from the Best Mate team who claimed there was never any question of pulling out of the race despite the officially "soft to heavy" ground.

"There's no point ducking and diving. Once here we were always going to run," said Henrietta Knight. "But today was all about the ground. It anchored him." When Beef Or Salmon was sent to the front after the third last, Best Mate came under pressure but kept on resolutely and was guaranteed second with Rule Supreme's last fence exit.

"It's great for steeplechasing to have some super young horses coming on the scene and Beef Or Salmon deserved to win a big one," said Knight who added that Best Mate will now go straight for an attempt at a fourth Gold Cup triumph.

In contrast Beef Or Salmon will try and emulate his 2003 Hennessy triumph in February where no doubt Hourigan will no shortage of options for the ride.

With the horse's usual rider, Timmy Murphy, at Chepstow yesterday, there was understandable speculation that Carberry might end up doing more than keeping the seat warm.

"We'll see. We will be using the best available on the day," grinned Hourigan who dismissed any suggestion that better ground at Cheltenham would put Beef Or Salmon at a disadvantage.

"He was brilliant in the Heineken at Punchestown last season and he won for Mick Kinane on very fast ground at the Curragh one day," he said.

Nevertheless, the bookmakers were unanimous in keeping Best Mate at the head of the Gold Cup betting even if he is now a little longer at a general 3 to 1. Beef Or Salmon is contrast was cut to as low as 5 to 1.

But Cheltenham in March is likely to be about a lot more than the usual SPs.