The £39,000 first prize presumably made a sizeable dent in the price JP McManus forked out for Knife Edge but more importantly the dream of winning at the Cheltenham festival remains intact.
The Michael O'Brien trained five year old didn't win yesterday's Denny Gold Medal Novice Chase in particularly spectacular style but he didn't have to and what he did do was enough for Paddy Power and Cashmans to cut his Arkle Trophy price to 7/1.
In contrast to Well Ridden and Alcapone, Knife Edge's jumping was sound and when Tom Rudd asked the former high class hurdler to quicken on the turn in, the winner did all he had to do.
"Hopefully the Arkle at Cheltenham will be the day," confirmed O'Brien. "He's a very good horse. He doesn't make mistakes and the only thing you can say is that he can be a bit careful. But that's probably no bad thing."
"He was a bit too switched off but I was always happy," reported Rudd and O'Brien was keen to emphasise the horse can jump more spectacularly when the occasion demands it.
This occasion didn't demand it. Alcapone's jumping deteriorated as the race unfolded and he eventually paid the price when falling at the last. Well Ridden was always going to be second best and Balla Sola never got a blow in.
"He watches what he does but he will wing a fence if he's asked and we'll set him more of a task next where he can polish up his jumping. At the back of my mind is that he races like a three mile horse but he will stick to two miles this season," O'Brien added.
O'Brien and Rudd unveiled another Cheltenham prospect when Pittsburgh Phil earned a 12 to 1 Triumph Hurdle quote after spreadeagling the field in the Denny Juvenile Hurdle.
Knife Edge won the same race in 1998 but failed at Cheltenham and Naas based O'Brien commented: "Certainly he's a Triumph Hurdle candidate but who knows yet if he's a Triumph Hurdle winner."
The half-brother to the Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Fourstars Allstar led from the third last to run out ten lengths clear of Francies Fancy and O'Brien added: "He's going to be a fair horse. He has a bit of pace and he jumps real well. The horse is for sale - to stay in the yard!"
The first race of the festival fell to Silver Steel who provided the talented amateur Alan Crowe with an 11th career winner by just overhauling Regal Venture on the run in of the maiden hurdle.
"It's great for the horse who has been placed and placed in bumpers," said Silver Steel's trainer Christy Roche.
The second maiden saw an all the way 20 length winner in Bob Justice and trainer Ted Walsh commented: "I thought he'd win but not like that. He's a nice horse but it was a very ordinary maiden hurdle." The Indispensable, who started favourite, never threatened and was found to be lame on his near foreleg after the race.
JP McManus ended the day up with another winner when the John Mulhern trained World Wide Web overhauled the favourite Pietro Vannucci in the shadow of the post while Delgany Royal travelled like a winner throughout for Kieran Kelly in the handicap chase.
A lot of jackpot punters were left stumped after the handicap hurdle due to the 20 to 1 Secret Native getting a spectacular second wind and putting nine lengths between himself and Discerning Air.
