Tumbling Dice produced a power-packed display to run away with the O’Connell Logistics Hilly Way Chase at Cork.
Tom Taaffe’s seven-year-old was sent off at 10-1 for the two-mile Grade Two affair and gradually crept int contention halfway down the back straight.
He was travelling with such menace when jumping to the front at the fourth-last fence that Shane McGovern gave him his head and the pair made the best of their way home.
Despite getting right into the roots of the last, McGovern was able to sit tight and the winning duo had built up a sufficient lead to coast home unchallenged.
Jim, 7-2, stayed on well to grab second spot, 10 lengths behind Taaffe’s charge, and had third-placed Steel Band a further 11 lengths away.
Paul Nolan’s Kill Devil Hill was sent off the 11-4 favourite but never looked to be travelling with any fluency and was eventually pulled up.