Home By The Lee landed the Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle in gutsy fashion from 9/4 favourite Staffordshire Knot at Gowran Park on Thursday.
The 11-year-old was sent off third best in the market after returning at an SP of 3/1, but he knuckled down after the last to score by half-a-length under J J Slevin for trainer Joseph O'Brien.
With the blinkers back on after being tried in a visor at Leopardstown over Christmas, Home By The Lee was always prominent sitting just off the pace set by Gordon Elliott's Staffordshire Knot, racing in the colours of Gigginstown.
All of the field travelled well with three flights and three quarters of a mile to go, but as Staffordshire Knot turned the screw his rivals wilted one by one.
Only Home By The Lee kept tabs on the leader from the back of the second last, with Gerri Colombe fading in third, eventually a distance of 18 lengths behind the front two.
The front pair had a good battle after the last only for Home By The Lee's stamina to kick in late on, as he landed the third Grade 2 victory of his career to go with his two Grade 1 successes.
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