SAM Curling saddled the favourite for the Hunters Chase in Angels Dawn but won it with his other runner, the 28/1 shot Wonderwall.

With Rob James on board, the nine-year-old Yeats gelding had to battle all the way to the line to hold off Derek O’Connor on Its On The Line (4/1), who was finishing second in this race for the third year in a row. This time the losing margin was just a neck.

Willitgoahead (13/2) was over three lengths back in third spot, completing an Irish 1-2-3.

Rob James, winning the race for the first time, said: “Unbelievable. I was probably going too well and got there a bit too soon but the line came in time, thank God. This is the race you want to win as an amateur, it’s great. I can’t thank Sam and his team, and the owners enough.”

A winner of both his point-to-points this season, but unraced since November, Wonderwall was a €105,000 store who was originally trained in England by Richard Spencer. He won a bumper first time out in 2020 and was highly tried afterwards - finishing seventh in the Champion Bumper - before losing his form over hurdles and racing more on the flat.

The horse had a spell with Peter and Michael Bowen in Wales, which included a few chase starts, before being picked up by Curling at the Goffs UK Summer Sale last July for £33,000. He now races in the colours of John O’Leary.

Ironically, Derek O’Connor rode Wonderwall when he won both his opens, at Loughrea and Damma House.

Curling, who trains at Goolds Cross in Cashel, was recording his second Festival success, having won the Kim Muir with Angels Dawn two years ago. He said: “The ground suited this horse and we fancied him. His jmping used to be the issue but it came good and he got into a good rhythm. Phillip Enright schools him a lot. We’ll probably go to Punchestown now.”

It was also a second Festival winner for Rob James, who won the Kim Muir on Milan Native in 2020.