Navan report: Prince Of Tara's success in yesterday's William Hill Troytown Chase produced an emotional picture that will resonate for a long time in the home of his trainer Steve Mahon.

The horse, who was on the verge of being put down just a year ago, stood proudly for the photographers in the Navan winner's enclosure with seven-year old Jamie Mahon on his back and an exultant father looking on.

"Jamie rides him around the yard every evening," Mahon snr announced. "And the horse kicks the lights out of almost anyone else who tries to get on his back."

Barry Geraghty managed to "jock off" his young rival for yesterday's €85,000 feature and also managed the not inconsiderable feat of riding at 10st 4lb which meant Prince Of Tara carried just 2lb overweight.

That was enough to copper fasten Steve Mahon's confidence in a horse he credits with having saved his career despite Prince Of Tara having just the third steeplechase start of his career.

"I wouldn't be in racing if it wasn't for Prince Of Tara," the Stamullen trainer said after his stable star survived a mistake at the third last to beat off A New Story by a length with the favourite Monterey Bay back in third.

"This was a horse rated in the 140s as a hurdler and I always thought he was going to be a Gold Cup horse. But things went wrong, he was sent to be trained by Oliver Brady and one day I got a phone call from the owner Jim Swan who said the vets wanted to put the horse down. He'd broken down badly but I said over my dead body will he be put down and we brought him back," said Mahon. "We used a Hydrotherapy Spa for the tendonitis he had and it worked brilliantly. He was on a mark of 116 here and I thought he had a great chance. I didn't think Barry would put up only 2lb over but I wouldn't have minded him putting up 7lb over.

"Barry actually said the horse was doing nothing in front. The mistake woke him up." he added.

Mahon's original plan had been to take on the top horses immediately after Prince Of Tara's return from a 13-month absence but he chose instead to avail of the horse's handicap mark. It worked out spectacularly and he might not be finished using that mark either. "He is in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown but we will have to see," Mahon grinned. "You never know, in time Barry might have to switch from Kicking King."

Powerstation ended a streak of three runner-up placings by edging out the favourite Travino by a short head in a desperate finish to the Grade Three Monksfield Hurdle. Davy Russell's mount was second to the highly rated Black Jack Ketchum at Cheltenham two weeks previously and trainer Charles Byrnes said: "I thought all he had to do was reproduce that and he'd win. I couldn't understand why he wasn't favourite."

That position went to Travino instead and after Nicanor's fall at the second last it was Powerstation who finished best of all to just win out. The Barry and Sandra Kelly Memorial Hurdle back at Navan next month will be next for the winner.

On a disastrous day for favourite backers, the 20 to 1 King Of Merlia set the tone with a half-length defeat of Artists Muse in the Juvenile Hurdle that paid 264 to 1 on the Tote. His jockey Mick Darcy later doubled up in the Beginners Chase when coming in for the spare ride on Father Matt who was too strong for Shuil Coillte and the favourite Publican. Paul Carberry had earlier been stood down for the day after his fall from Nicanor.

The big-race winner Barry Geraghty had earlier landed the maiden hurdle on Justpourit in a tight finish with Tony McCoy's mount Clew Bay Cove but the British champion was also on the mark with More Like It who had only a head in hand of the favourite Mouftari in the handicap hurdle.