Mirabad sprang a 50/1 surprise in the Hallgarten & Novum Wines Maghull Novices' Chase, providing Dan Skelton with a second Grade One success of the week and Tristan Durrell a career first.
The winner travelled strongly though the contest as stablemate Be Aware and favourite Salvator Mundi duelled for supremacy.
The latter was never fluent at his fences but with a closing Kala Conti falling three out, was still in front jumping the second last.
However, in his slipstream was Mirabad who swept past and hit the line six lengths to the good.
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Skelton said: “I said to the lads beforehand that the only day he has run moderate for us was that day at Bangor. He probably got stuck in the ground, but more than that he can have a bad day, and he might have felt rubbish.
“I said to Tristan today drop him in, go thieving, nick all you can and you never know, and look at that. I think with a bit more experience he is learning to settle, and we have ridden him today to do that. He has obviously got loads of ability. It is remarkable.
“It was the plan to win the Greatwood at the start of the season. I got the trip right. I just got the ground, fences and time of year wrong. After he ran like that in the Greatwood we said we can’t carry on like that. He is going to have to go over fences and get some manners.
“Tristan is going to be champion conditional jockey this season and he is now a Grade One winner. Harry is getting older and we need a jockey in five, six or however many years, Harry has got left. I’m not retiring him, but we are going to need another rider and Tristan has just improved.
“We hoped he would be that rider for us and every time we send him out he gets that bit better. We are very proud he is a home grown talent and we are proud of his progression as a rider.
“Be Aware has run really well. He has probably run better than he has most of the season. It is just amazing.”
Punchestown next for beaten Mundi
Willie Mullins said of Salvator Mundi: “He just didn’t jump the way he can jump and that cost him in the end I think. He ran well other than that.
“He has (had a couple of bumps along the road), but he is a good horse on his day and just today wasn’t his day and he still ran a cracker. He will go to Punchestown as the races are there for those horses that have had a quiet season so he can do a bit of hard work like the rest of us.”
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