Klassical Dream proved a let down as Royal Kahala ran out a worthy winner of the John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park.
The Willie Mullins-trained Klassical Dream, considered a Cheltenham hot-pick, went off the 1-3 favourite after victory in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown and all appeared fine as Paul Townend let his horse take the lead after jumping the first flight.
Klassical Dream appeared to be moving nicely with all but a handful of opponents dropping out of contention in the three-mile contest, leaving just four in the mix turning for home.
However, Klassical Dream ran wide on the bend and jumped the penultimate flight with little in the tank as Townend's mount faded, leaving Home By The Lee in front.
Royal Kahala (9-2) tanked along for Kevin Sexton on the outside of Klassical Dream though, making swift progress to grab the race by the scruff of the neck approaching the last.
A quick leap at the final flight sealed victory and Peter Fahey's runner was kept focused to see off 80-1 chance Home By The Lee by a length and three-quarters. Klassical Dream could only register a fourth.
Fahey said: "It was a brilliant performance. If you go back through her form, her bad run was at Cheltenham last year and she was lame after it.
"We were always keen to step her up to the three miles as her jumping is a bit slow. When they are going that bit quicker over two and a half on quicker ground she can make the odd mistake.
"That gives us options. I'm not saying after that she's definitely going to go for the Stayers', we'll see closer to it.
"If the ground was very soft in Cheltenham on the first day she could go for the Mares' Hurdle. Hopefully she comes out of this race well and fingers crossed we'll rock on to Cheltenham."
He added: "I expected her to run a huge race today. She was working well at home and is a filly we always thought a lot of.
"Cheltenham will be ground dependent. I wouldn't run her on good ground over there. She'd want a bit of soft in it."
Sexton told RTE: "She's just so tough. I never had any doubt she's stay three miles and she stayed every bit of it.
"I got there at the second-last as I wanted to take Paul off the bridle. If anything I probably should have held on to her a bit longer, it probably wouldn't have been as hard work.
"She's idling down the straight and she jumped right at the last, I'd say she still had a bit left.
"When I jumped the third-last and I gave her a squeeze, and when I saw him (Townend) dip his lad coming down the hill in front of me I thought then I had every chance of beating him.
"I thought it was all about who would find more off the bridle from there and I knew she'd find plenty.
"She travelled and she jumped, she's so clever. Peter always tells me to leave her alone, but she has so much scope it's hard to do it. You be afraid you'd put her on the ground because she's clever enough to do it herself.
"It's great for the yard and the syndicate and I'm just privileged and very lucky to be in the position I'm in. I thankful to everyone who keeps putting me up."
Of Klassical Dream, Townend said: "I'm disappointed. The ground is testing, it's tacky old ground."
