Fakir D’oudairies was a convincing winner of the Grade One Marsh Chase.
In a race registered as the Melling Chase, Joseph O’Brien’s six-year-old added his name to the list of famous previous winners.
Jockey Mark Walsh challenged widest of four as the main contenders bunched into the straight – and there was no doubt eventual runner-up Nuts Well came off worst when space got very tight on the inside.
Fakir D’oudairies, who was pulled out of an initial engagement at Fairyhouse at the start of the week because of quick ground and was second to runaway Ryanair winner Allaho at Cheltenham, was nonetheless emphatic in victory.
As Nuts Well and Danny McMenamin regathered momentum, and switched wide themselves, the winner was gone – well clear at the last on the way to an 11-length success as the 2-1 favourite.
