Home By The Lee caused a 33/1 surprise with a hard-fought win in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The Joseph O'Brien-trained 11-year-old Home By The Lee was making his fifth appearance in the three-mile Grade 1, having not done better than third behind Teahupoo in the 2024 edition, but he finally put it all together in the hands of J J Slevin to beat the running-on Ballyburn (11/2) by a length and a quarter.
Last year's victor Bob Olinger was third at 13/2, while the Dan Skelton-trained Kabral du Mathan (4/1) finished fourth having moved to the front going well at the last before failing to see it out up the final climb to the line.
The 9/4 favourite Teahupoo was a well-beaten sixth.
Home By The Lee sat in third for much of the contest before taking up the running under a strong drive on the long run to the final flight.
Harry Skelton arrived swinging on the bridle aboard Kabral Du Mathan, popping the last with a brief advantage as Ballyburn and Bob Olinger were forced to switch out towards the centre of the track.
But the smooth-travelling Kabral Du Mathan's stride began to shorten and Home By The Lee battled gamely to regain the lead, toughing it out on the stands' rail as Paul Townend's mount Ballyburn had to settle for the runner-up spot.
15:20 Cheltenham - Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle result
1st HOME BY THE LEE 33/1
2nd Ballyburn 11/2
3rd Bob Olinger
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Winning trainer O’Brien said: “We changed things a little bit with his preparation this season and he was really good around Gowran Park. We couldn’t say we expected to win as we thought his chance had gone the year he got brought down.
"It was a fantastic ride by JJ and the horse put up a great performance. Stamina is his thing and he sometimes hits a big flat spot.
"He hit a little bit of one today, but JJ managed to re-motivate him. I’m really delighted for Sean O’Driscoll and his family as they bred him so they have been with him from day one. It has been a fantastic ride. To win the Stayers’ Hurdle as an eleven-year-old is special.
“We normally keep him very fresh as goes through the races when he hasn’t run for a while, but this season we said we would get him racing so we took him to Gowran Park after Christmas and then we came here.
“He is all stamina and I was a little bit worried when Doddiethegreat arrived on his outside, but JJ gave him a fantastic ride and he made the right moves at every stage.
“Of all the horses I’ve ever trained he is the winning most horse in number of wins and we’ve had him since he just turned four so we have had him for a long time. He trains every day with enthusiasm. When he is off he gets a bit bored, so he loves his work, his job and his racing. He has never had a lame step in his life and he is a superstar.”
De Bromhead said of the third home Bob Olinger: “He ran a blinder and you have to be delighted with that. Darragh was brilliant on him and fair play to the winner as he has beaten us a few times and he was unlucky to fall in the race last year. I’m delighted for Sean O’Driscoll and Joseph.
“I thought everything was going perfectly and Darragh was brilliant on him. He absolutely run a cracker.”
Skelton said of Kabral Du Mathan: “He just didn’t stay. He travelled unbelievable and jumped brilliant and didn’t stay, but there are plenty of horses that have done that in their life around here.
"We are proud of his effort as he tried super hard. We did the right thing running him as you saw how well he was. He travelled around brilliantly. We did the right thing being here, but the result didn’t quite pan out.
"We go two and a half miles with him now as he is a two and a half mile horse. We were happy with him in the Relkeel where he acquitted himself well around here. It was similar today, but he just didn’t finish. The last furlong and a bit was a long way for him.
"I said it the whole way along it was an unanswered question as we had been to that party so we didn’t know how it would go. I hoped and thought he would stay, but he didn’t.
"He has put too much in today to go to Aintree. I’m very proud of what he has done and we won’t go again this season. I think we will go over fences as Harry said he looks forward to riding him over a fence."