Thari, the 6-1 outsider, won a dramatic renewal of the Grade One Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse this afternoon after hot favourite Adamant Approach fell at the second last.
The €80,000 event attracted just three runners with Willie Mullins running both Adamant Approach and One Night Out, who fell in yesterday's Irish Grand National.
Adamant Approach was sent off the 30-100 favourite for the two and a half mile chase and he made all the running as Thari and One Night Out followed him round.
Ruby Walsh's mount looked all over the winner as he approached the second last fence absolutely cruising, but Adamant Approach just did not pick up at the obstacle and sent Walsh crashing to the ground in spectacular fashion.
Both Noel Meade's Thari and One Night Out were hampered by the falling leader, but Thari and Paul Carberry recovered quickest to scramble over the last for a three length win.
"Beforehand, somebody asked me leaving the parade ring what I thought might happen and I just said I would prefer to be backing my fellow at 6-1 rather than taking the price about Adamant Approach," said Thari trainer Meade.
"They are only novices and the fences are there to be jumped - that's why we took our chance and I hope this win, lucky as it was, will be a tonic for Thari's owner Des Sharkey who is in hospital in Dublin at the moment," the champion trainer added.
Carberry then proceeded to steal a march against better backed rivals in the Boylesports Hurdle that followed, letting Swordplay (13-2) stride on soon after halfway and beating Central House by two lengths.
"Swordplay jumps great and this fast ground suits him ideally. He can get hyped up before his races, but we kept him cool in the stable yard by giving him a shampoo and that has worked out for us," said trainer Michael O'Brien's son-in-law and assistant Denis Cullen.
The long-term plan for Swordplay is the Guinness Hurdle at Galway in the summer, but in the meantime the Kris gelding could turn out again at next week's Punchestown Festival where his owner Sean Mulryan is one of the principal sponsors.
The Galway feature is also on the agenda for High Prospect who justified favouritism in the euro;90,000 final of the Powers Gold Label Handicap Hurdle series.
However, it was only close home that Norman Williamson's persistence paid off as the favourite eventually reeled in Junior Fontaine by half a length for trainer Paul Nolan.
"It's lovely to add this good prize to our win in the Guinness Hurdle at Galway last summer with Say Again and this horse will go there. Norman said he needed every yard of this two miles and would prefer a little more ease so we will just try to keep him in one piece for Galway," said Nolan.
Carberry's luck ran out here though when he took a nasty fall from Blue on the inside of the leading group four out and he looked shaken as he made his way later from the ambulance room.
"Paul was kicked about on the right arm and lower back and I have stood him down until Saturday," said the Irish Turf Club's medical officer Walter Halley.