Leopardstown report: Perseverance got its reward in spectacular Grade-One style at Leopardstown yesterday when the former Cheltenham hero Missed That returned to form with such gusto that the Cotswolds in March is now very much back on the agenda.

Certainly after Missed That landed an incident-packed Durkan New Homes Novice Chase by a length and a half from Wild Passion it was easy to understand the satisfied air emanating from his trainer Willie Mullins.

After all, it's only just over a month since the Festival Bumper winner made an eagerly-awaited chasing debut and plunged a midweek Thurles meeting into some considerable gloom by finishing only third.

In the modern racing game, where reputations collapse almost as fast as they are collected, such a beginning threatened to have Missed That's latent talent for the chasing game dismissed almost as soon as it had started.

Mullins however, and jockey David Casey, kept the faith through a reassuring comeback at Navan and yesterday that faith was rewarded at the highest level of all.

"I enjoyed that more than a lot of my other winners," smiled Mullins and there was also enough in the performance to encourage some bookmakers to go as low as 8 to 1 about Missed That successfully returning to Cheltenham in the Arkle Trophy.

However if the finish was gripping, so was the start as the heavily-fancied favourite Justified made a bad mistake and unseated his rider Shay Barry.

"He went to have a cut at it and changed his mind. You can't do that," said a disconsolate "Dusty" Sheehy.

That left Mansony to cut out a strong pace and a series of spectacular jumps saw that horse lead after the second last.

By then Casey had smuggled Missed That into the thick of the action and it was he and Wild Passion who had the race between them when Mansony fell at the last.

Briefly Wild Passion got past Missed That but the Mullins runner rallied too well to provide the Florida Pearl colours of Violet O'Leary with another top-class visit to the winners enclosure.

"We actually came here for some practice jumping at that kind of speed. I would have been delighted to finish in the first three," acknowledged Mullins.

"We all came here to see one horse but he went at the first so we are still not exactly sure where we are."

What he does know is that Missed That will stay on the Arkle route rather than tackle longer distances even though the horse will also be entered for the SunAlliance.

"We are still trying to figure out what happened at Thurles. We think he had too much time to think and too much daylight. He needs to be competitive," added Mullins who will aim Missed That next at the Arkle here next month.

It was a very good day for the Mullins-Casey partnership as Clear Riposte sprang a 14 to 1 surprise in the Grade Two Juvenile Hurdle, beating Artist's Muse by three lengths. "We changed tactics, put her in the race more and she jumped and stayed all day," said Mullins. "That should be enough for her to run in the Triumph Hurdle and her connections have also been lucky in the French champion four year old hurdle with Nobody Told Me."

Bookmaker reaction was to make Clear Riposte a general 33 to 1 shot for Cheltenham.

Noel Meade and Paul Carberry were also in double form with Zum See reversing previous form with Old Flame in the handicap chase and Back To Bid who hinted at a bright future in the opening maiden hurdle.

"He is a funny horse in that he takes a long time to learn but he has certainly got an engine," said Meade.

"He bunny-hopped the second which didn't help but already he needs a trip. I'll look for a two and a half mile or two mile six race next.

"There is certainly a chance of him making the SunAlliance or the other novice race (Brit Insurances Novice Hurdle)."

Meade looked set for a treble in the bumper as Lord Lumey set sail into the final furlong. However he was overhauled close home by the fast-finishing Whitehills.

The Jonjo O'Neill team struck in the handicap hurdle with the Davy Russell-ridden Buck Whaley who destroyed the local opposition while the Kicking King colours of owner Conor Clarkson landed the second maiden hurdle on Finger On the Pulse.

"He is still a big baby and learning all the time," said triumphant jockey Shane McGovern.