Home By The Lee (33/1) became the joint-oldest winner ever of the Grade 1 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle as he won the three-mile contest at his fifth consecutive attempt today.

The 11-year-old Home By The Lee was settled in second by J.J. Slevin, while Hewick took up the running. In a smoothly-run race, placings remained largely unchanged until Home By The Lee began to press the leader before taking up the running coming down the hill.

On the run to the last, Kabral Du Mathan looked a danger, but the eventual winner kept finding as he went on to score by a length and a quarter from waited with Ballyburn.

Successful trainer Joseph O’Brien said: “We were just hoping for a good run. It was a fantastic ride by J.J. and I’m so delighted for Sean O’Driscoll and his family as they bred him and he's an 11-year-old and they’ve been with him all the way. He’s as tough as nails. It was a huge team effort by everyone at home.

“We’ve raced him a bit more often than we usually do. We thought we’d get him running but we normally keep him very fresh.

“He’s all stamina and J.J. gave him a fantastic ride. He made all the right moves at every stage. Of all the horses I’ve ever trained he’s the winningmost in number of wins. We’ve had him since maybe he just turned four, so he’s been there a long time. He trains every day with enthusiasm and when he’s off he gets bored. He loves his work, loves his job, loves his racing and has never had a lame step in his life. He’s a superstar.”

Winning rider J.J. Slevin said: “His fifth run in the race. We were coming here hoping he would run well. He won well the last day. He was on fire in the ring beforehand, Joseph told me he was flying. For him to come and win it is just unreal.

“I’ve been with him every step of the way and that’s down to two people, Sean and Rose O’Driscoll. I’ve had good days and also had bad days, and it’s on the bad days that you need people behind you. He’s been a great horse.

“He’s tough as nails. He was running away down the hill. When he was travelling so well, I thought I’d press on. Then down to the last he started looking around and I thought, ‘Oh no, we’re in a bit of bother’. Harry went a good half length up on me, snatched at the back of the last, and he put down his head and away he went again. It’s great.”

Sean O’Driscoll, the owner-breeder of Home By The Lee, said: “Willie Mullins came up to me to congratulate me on the way in; he trained the first runner we ever had at Cheltenham, and he was running a belter in the Albert Bartlett and he came down at the last. That hardens you for Cheltenham. It’s so difficult to win here. I’ll dine out on this for a while!

“We came here with confidence, but the odds were stacked against us in that he’s 11 years of age, it was his fifth attempt at the race, I don’t think any horse has won it after running in it five times - the moral of the story is that there’s always a first time!

“They’ll be singing, ‘Beautiful city, charming and pretty, beautiful city, my Home By The Lee! He’s won 12 and been placed in five. My son, John, who is watching, has never been at a race that he’s won. He told me two weeks ago that he couldn’t come, then a few days ago he was going to change his mind and I said, ‘No John, stay away!’ So John, this is for you.

“Never give up, that’s the moral of the story. He has the heart of a lion. He’s a very sound horse. He lost his way chasing. Joseph rang me one day and said, ‘I think maybe you should send him to another yard, they can freshen him up’. I said, ‘Are you politely telling me that I should take him away from the yard?’ To which he replied, ‘No, I’m not’. So I said, ‘Well, he’s not going anywhere’. Joseph is an amazing trainer.”

Willie Mullins, trainer of the runner-up Ballyburn, said: “Delighted with our fellow; we just got squeezed for a bit of room round the last, but I’m delighted for Sean O’Driscoll. We had a good run, and I’m delighted to see our horse back in form.”

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of the third Bob Olinger, last year's winner, said: “Darragh was brilliant on him. Fair play to the winner - he’s beaten us a few times and was unlucky to fall in the race last year. I’m delighted for Sean O’Driscoll and Joseph. I thought everything was going perfectly in the race for us, he ran a cracker and it was a great training performance from Joseph.”

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