Brendan Brackan made a triumphant comeback after 162 days off the track to lift the Tote Irish Lincolnshire at Naas.
The eight-year-old was the bigger price of the two Ger Lyons-trained runners, but the eight-year-old made light of the steadier of 9st 12lb to oblige at odds of 16/1 with his better-backed stable companion Sea Wolf, a 5/1 shot, in third.
Tribal Path led into the straight, but Gary Carroll had Brendan Brackan well-placed towards the far rail before going on inside the final furlong to beat Aussie Valentine by a length and a half.
Sea Wolf was half a length back, while Tribal Path stuck on for fourth place, a further two and a quarter lengths away, just ahead of Richard Fahey's raider Spring Offensive.
Lyons, who was completing a double after the success of Gymkhana earlier on the card, said: "To be honest we fancied Sea Wolf more, but you can't beat class.
"He's been an absolute legend for the yard, and hopefully he can win another stakes race this year.
"I'm delighted for Gary as well, as he's a big part of the team. He got a lovely split on the inner and he just took off.
"I have 90 boxes and they are all full. Whether or not they will be full in June is another matter as I'm more about quality than quantity.
"I have been in awe of Gordon Elliott and what he's been doing all winter, and the one thing I have learned from him is to run them."
