Beef Or Salmon repeated his 2004 victory in the race

Michael Hourigan's 11-4 shot, ridden by Andrew McNamara, got up in the run-in to win by a neck.

War of Attrition, the 4-7 favourite and with Conor O'Dwyer on board, looked set to win after leading at the last before being overhauled by the 2004 winner.

Justified was a distant third in the main event of the Down Royal meeting.

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The showpiece Down Royal race did not take place last year because the meeting had to be abandoned because of a bomb scare.

Cloudy Bays cut out most of the early running before Justified took the lead with four furlongs remaining although War Of Attrition and Beef Or Salmon were travelling ominously well near the head of affairs.

Although the former appeared to stumble slightly turning for home, Conor O'Dwyer still nudged his partner into the lead with a crisp leap at the penultimate fence.

It was only after the second last that I thought I had a chance Beef Or Salmon's jockey Andrew McNamara

But Beef Or Salmon, relishing the small field and soft ground, responded to McNamara's every call and moved alongside his nearest rival at the last.

An absorbing duel ensued thereafter with Beef Or Salmon just getting up to land back-to-back runnings of the Down Royal feature.

Delighted jockey McNamara acknowledged that he had thought his horse was beaten three fences from home.

"It was only after the second last that I thought I had a chance," said McNamara.

"He met the last with a nice stride and put up a really strong finish."

Hourigan was at his niece's wedding in Limerick but his daughter, Kay, said: "He will probably go for the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas next but that's only as far as we are thinking at the moment."

Conor O'Dwyer felt War Of Attrition lost nothing in defeat and said: "The horse stumbled four out but it made no real difference."

James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase
3m, Down Royal

1 Beef Or Salmon (A McNamara)11-4
2 War of Attrition (C O'Dwyer) 4-7 fav
3 Justified (P Carberry) 5-1
Seven ran. Dist: neck, 13