The Listener delivers at Down Royal

Racing: The Listener provided Nick Mitchell with the biggest win of his training career to date with an all-the-way win in the…

Racing:The Listener provided Nick Mitchell with the biggest win of his training career to date with an all-the-way win in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Andrew McNamara set only a sedate pace in the early stages due to the testing conditions, but he was joined at halfway by the odds-on favourite Notre Pere.

However, just as Andrew Lynch asked the jolly for a big leap five out he clipped the top and came down, leaving the bold jumping grey in isolation.

Former Gold Cup winner War Of Attrition and fellow British raiders Joe Lively and My Will tried to get involved but the mud-lover refused to buckle.

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The 7-1 chance, without a win since the Irish Hennessy in February 2008, came home in splendid isolation 15 lengths ahead of My Will.

Mitchell said: "I wouldn't be here without this horse, training or anything. I would like to thank the owner for keeping the horse with me throughout a difficult year last year.

"He started to get some sort of form back at Punchestown then he had a nasty fall at Leopardstown and was never quite right after that.

"Andrew (McNamara) came to ride him 10 days ago and I said I hoped it would be heavy ground as he would see a different horse on that surface.

"That's the horse's fourth Grade One win over here. He'll probably come back for the John Durkan at Punchestown in December."