Don Poli gave trainer Willie Mullins his first victory in the Grade One Lexus Chase at Leopardstown today, but was eased in the betting for the Cheltenham Gold Cup after making heavy weather of beating the veteran First Lieutenant by half a length.

The winner of the RSA Chase at last season’s Cheltenham Festival was off the bridle a long way from home and the six-year-old was pushed out to a best-priced 13-2 from 5-1 in the Gold Cup market, which is headed by his stablemate Djakadam at 7-2 to go one better than when runner-up to Coneygree last March.

Mullins, who also saddled On His Own to finish just over three lengths behind Don Poli in fourth and Sir Des Champs in a remote fifth, remained upbeat, saying: “He always just does what he has to do and in those conditions things are very tough. When the others came to him he kept pulling it out. It’s hard to know how good he is and how much more he has to produce but I was very happy.”

On the Flat, Richard Fahey equalled Richard Hannon Senior’s training record of 235 winners in a calendar year with a Lingfield double. Fahey, who has three chances at Southwell today, said: “It would be great if we could beat the record. We’ll be trying anyway.”