Beef Or Salmon took the Lexus (Getty Images).

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Beef Or Salmon finally put in the performance he has always threatened to leave triple Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Best Mate toiling in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on Tuesday.

The Grade One contest headlines a fantastic four days of racing at the Dublin track and there is no doubt the lingering image of the Christmas Festival will be the Michael Hourigan-trained eight-year-old powering home in the winter sunshine.

The gelding has finished behind Best Mate on three separate occasions but finally turned the form around when jumping to the front three fences out.

Paul Carberry kicked for home with two to jump and Best Mate was left seven lengths adrift at the line.

However, connections of the runner-up, who drifted to a starting price of 9-10, were not shocked by the result after the ground turned soft, heavy in places following persistent rain yesterday evening.

Jockey Jim Culloty said: "He ran very well but it was the age-old thing that he wants good ground."

Beef Or Salmon was slashed to 6-1 from 12s by Ladbrokes for the Gold Cup with the reigning champion pushed out to 3-1 from 5-2.

"He has finally justified the belief I had in him," said Hourigan. "I always knew he was a good horse. I don't think you have seen the best of him either - he'll improve again on better ground."

With regular partner Timmy Murphy required to ride at Chepstow, Carberry took over in the saddle and after settling Beef Or Salmon towards the back of the field, on the heels of Best Mate, he started to make his move down the back straight.

Beef Or Salmon was upsides Best Mate turning down the side of the course but the British raider, along with Pizarro and Cloudy Bays, could not go with him and he soon established a healthy advantage.

The 9-4 winner was then in command and despite Best Mate bravely digging deep to try and catch him, he was always fighting a losing battle.

Rule Supreme came from out of the pack and may have finished second but Willie Mullins' charge, renowned as a sketchy jumper, crashed out at the last to leave Pizarro 15 lengths back in third.

"He handles soft ground but is a much better horse on good ground and ran well on good ground when he was fourth at Cheltenham in the Gold Cup last season," added Hourigan.

"Best Mate tried his heart out but he is another that would save his best for better ground."

Beef Or Salmon, who now heads for the Irish Hennessy back at Leopardstown on February 6, was plagued by back trouble last season, a problem that came to light after he finished third to Best Mate in the corresponding race 12 months ago.

"Timmy (Murphy) said when he got off him in this race last year that something wasn't right, and it turned out he was correct. But when you train horses of his calibre you are always going to run into problems," Hourigan continued.

"Last time in the Durkan he missed a fortnight and the trip of two and half (miles) would be short enough for him. He made up eight lengths towards the finish and didn't have a hard race - he's done more hard work at home than he did in the Durkan.

"He's got so much class that it's unbelievable and I was never worried today.

"Paul has done well on him as well - that is why he is a champion jockey but we'll have to see about Cheltenham and I will use the best available on the day. I won't be riding him anyway!"

Carberry looked back at Culloty as he approached the winning post, gesturing with his hand for Best Mate to come and catch him, an action that saw him hauled before the stewards and cautioned.

However, both jockeys shook hands after the incident, although Hourigan added, with his tongue firmly in his cheek: "I just hope Paul's gesture at the finish can be repeated at Cheltenham!"

Carberry said he had never been worried.

"I was always confident of winning and I knew that I had it at the second-last," he said. "I was waving at Jim coming to the line saying 'catch me if you can'."

Despite having to play second fiddle to the home star, connections of Best Mate were not too despondent, knowing that their stable star does not act of soft ground, as he showed when beaten in the Peterborough Chase last season.

"Jim said that he hated the ground and we knew he would, but we can't keep ducking and diving and I never thought about pulling him out," explained trainer Henrietta Knight.

"I knew the writing was on the wall when I walked the course this morning, though.

"We'll pack up and head to Cheltenham and I still think that he is as good as he he was, but maybe he just isn't as good as everybody thinks he is.

"He is a good horse but not a great horse, as great horses can go on all sorts of ground.

"We are not making excuses and when we get to March I still think that we can beat the winner on better ground.

"The main thing is that he is back safe and sound and that he jumped well. This will have taken something out of him but he has ran well on ground that he didn't like."

Best Mate's owner Jim Lewis, clad in his lucky maroon and claret scarf, added: "He was second but he is safe - that is the main thing."