Paul Nicholls, Ruby Walsh and owner Andy Stewart combined to take an incident-packed renewal of the John Smith's Topham Chase with 7-1 joint-favourite Gwanako.

The five-year-old jumped beautifully over the big National fences and hit the front going well at the penultimate fence. He winged the last and shot clear only to tire close home, eventually repelling 12-1 chance Irish Raptor by a rapidly-diminishing neck.

Bothar Na finished a further five lengths away in third, while 40-1 chance I Hear Thunder took fourth.

Irish Raptor was prominent throughout and was left in a clear lead early on as the front-running Nacarat took a chance with one of the obstacles.

The field had begun to sort themselves out as they approached Becher's, where a number came to grief. Of the remaining principals, it was Irish Raptor, Gwanako and Palarshan who looked set to fight out the finish from some way out as they were all jumping well and apparently enjoying themselves.

When Walsh pushed the button on Gwanako between the final two fences the contest seemed over. But his mount was beginning to tire up the run-in, having initially swerved away from The Elbow, and he only just repelled the gallant Irish Raptor, who kept responding to Brennan's urgings.

Bothar Na and I Hear Thunder filled the minor places as only 12 horses finished the race.

Walsh said: "Paddy Brennan was saying going to the last `it's always you coming after me'.

"It's a wonderful race to ride in having a good ride. I had an unbelievable ride from start to finish. My horse was pulling up near the finish when he knew he had him."

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