Odds-on favourite The Yellow Clay snatched victory in the final strides of the Tote Navan Novice Hurdle.
Gordon Elliott's five-year-old was second in the Grade One bumper at Punchestown at the end of last season and has made a superb start to his hurdling career so far.
After winning on debut by nine lengths in November he then won the Grade Three Monksfield Novice Hurdle by 10 lengths at Navan.
Returning to the same course and distance, this time at Grade Two level, the gelding was the 4-11 favourite under Sam Ewing.
He looked booked for second place, however, as Fleur In The Park led in the home straight but he would not stop battling and just managed to edge ahead close home to win by a neck.
"He had his head in front at the right time which is always a good sign in a horse," said Elliott.
"I’d say the second horse (Fleur In The Park) got a good ride, he got the fractions right and he kicked at the right time. He nearly caught us out.
"I told Sam not to be in front too soon, he rode our horse to instructions.
"He is winning, so that is all that matters. He’s learning how to race."
Jasmin De Vaux got his hurdling career under way with victory in the Headfort Arms Hotel Maiden Hurdle.
Willie Mullins' five-year-old won the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival last season and was the prohibitive 1-3 favourite to oblige under Paul Townend.
His jumping was not without error as he made his way around the two-mile trip but he was resolute in holding off The Enabler, who travelled very strongly, to win by four and a half lengths.
"The engine is there, but the jumping needs working on," said Townend.
"He’ll get confidence – a bit more practice is what he needs.
"As I say the engine is in there. It is a lot harder to put an engine in one than teach him to jump."
Magic Boum also made a winning debut under Rules for Gordon Elliott in the Mervyn Gray Construction Maiden Hurdle.
The four-year-old won her sole point-to-point start in February and was a 10-1 shot under Sam Ewing, though her chances improved greatly when Mullins’ 1-3 favourite, Kaid D’authie, fell early on.
Magic Boum went on to score by three-quarters of a length, with the trainer saying: "That was a bit of a surprise.
"I thought she would run a nice race there and maybe go back for a bumper but, with the favourite (Kaid D’authie) falling, the race was there.
"Being in front so long probably didn’t suit her. After the mistake at the last, she was tough, it was great she won."
Division two of the same race then went to Colm Murphy’s Goraibhmaithagat, who was a successful by two lengths under Simon Torrens having started at 16-1.
He was another making his debut under Rules with a point-to-point win already on his CV, and is owned by JP McManus having been bred by his wife Noreen.
Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus, said: "He did his job nicely in the point-to-point last year and we came here hoping he would run a nice race, and improve for the run.
"He did it nicely and jumped well and everything – delighted with him.
"They mightn’t have gone mad in the race, but you’d like the way he picked them up and stayed on.
Ile Atlantique made a perfect start to his chasing career when landing the QuinnBet Beginners Chase.
Willie Mullins' six-year-old was placed at Grade One level over hurdles and was graduating to the larger obstacles under Paul Townend in a field of 18.
The gelding was the 5-4 favourite to land an informative race over a trip just in excess of two and a half miles, with Good Land, Mahon’s Way, No Flies On Him and Waterford Whispers among his rivals.
He was well able to deal with them all, however, and made a real impression with an educational round of jumping that led to a nine-length triumph from Waterford Whispers with the returning Good Land running a promising race in third after missing the whole of last season.
"I just let him learn today on it, he had to figure it out a bit himself," said Townend.
"We could have gone out and winged everything, but he would learn more if he could do it himself.
"He rides a stronger horse this year. There were question marks of him seeing out his races before, but I think he has just needed all the time. A fence will help him with that as well, and maturity.
"He’s fast from one side to the other. Hopefully, he is going to have a good novice chase season.
"I like him a lot – I loved him last year and he didn’t fulfil what I thought he was going to do. I just think sitting on him, he’s so big this year, and he has taken this much time."
