JP McManus’ 18/1 shot leads home a one-two-three-four for Willie Mullins.
Irancy led home a one-two-three-four for Willie Mullins when running out a surprise winner of the Grade 1 KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
Mullins saddled four of the six runners as he bid for a record-extending eleventh success in the race, with many expecting it to be a straightforward task for this season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero Kopek Des Bordes.
However, it was Irancy who provided Mullins with his eleventh victory in the race as Kopek Des Bordes faded tamely into fourth place.
Despite running out a Grade 2 winner at Fairyhouse earlier this month, the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old was sent off an 18/1 chance as he bid to turn around a huge deficit with Kopek Des Bordes on their Supreme meeting.
The writing was on the wall for those who took the cramped odds of 30/100 about Kopek Des Bordes, who jumped with little fluency before looking massively in trouble turning for home.
All the while, Irancy could be spotted moving smoothly into contention behind the front-running Salvator Mundi and he quickened up in good style to land the prize by nine lengths under Mark Walsh. Karbau finished back in third.
"He just didn't handle Cheltenham at all," said Walsh on Racing TV. "The flat track at Fairyhouse suited him and today suited him a lot better, bar the hill away from the stands.
"He's had plenty of problems so fair play to Willie for getting him here," said Walsh. "He's a nice horse to be going chasing with next year."
Mullins added: "We took all the gear off Salvator Mundi today and it worked as far as his jumping was concerned, but he just got running too fast and they couldn't keep that up. Paul, knowing how good Salvator Mundi is, couldn't let him go.
"Irancy has always been a good horse and met with a setback after winning here earlier in the season, but it might have been the best thing to have happened as he came here fresh.
"I gave Kopek Des Bordes a nice break after Cheltenham and probably gave him too much and should have brought him to somewhere like Ayr or Perth!
"Looking at him in the parade ring, I thought he was carrying too much condition and that showed at today's pace."
