Queens Gamble continued her march to the Cheltenham Festival by successfully stepping up to Listed class in the Byerley Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Taunton.

Seriously impressive when winning her first two bumper starts at Cheltenham last season, the five-year-old subsequently found Dysart Enos too strong in a Listed event at Market Rasen before finishing down the field in the Champion Bumper at the Festival.

She won a maiden hurdle at Warwick in the spring on her final start for the retiring Oliver Sherwood and made a winning reappearance for Harry Derham, for whom Sherwood now acts as assistant, at Kempton last month.

Queens Gamble was a 5-6 favourite to maintain her unbeaten record over obstacles in Somerset and while
Casa No Mento looked to have her in real trouble halfway up the home straight, the market leader responded to the urgings of her regular partner Jonathan Burke to get on top after the final flight, with two and three-quarter lengths separating the pair at the line.

Derham said: “She did everything right, we thought she’d do that and we’re very pleased that she has, so job done.

“Johnny (Burke) was never really worried. Last season I think she was a little bit more forward going, but she’s very relaxed and very professional nowadays and he said every time he squeezed her she was just there and ready to go.

“She’s a good mare and Nigel’s (Twiston-Davies, trainer of runner-up) is obviously a good mare too. They’ve pulled well clear, which is always a good sign.”

Paddy Power left Queen Gamble unchanged at 16-1 for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, with her old rival Dysart Enos the 7-2 favourite.

On whether she would run again before the Festival, Derham added: “Until I speak Ed (Galvin) and Alex (Frost) properly about it I wouldn’t like to confirm, but I’d say there’s no need to run again.

“She’s had three runs over hurdles now, she jumped quickly today and I see very little reason to run again between now and the Festival.

“She’s good round the track (Cheltenham), she’s improving and I know I’ve got more to come from here.

“She’s done everything right so far, all she can do is keep winning her races and she’ll go there with a good chance.”

Surrey Quest provided Toby Lawes with one of the biggest victories of his training career to date when landing the Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury.

Formally a right-hand man to Nicky Henderson, it was somewhat fitting it was a former Seven Barrows inmate that provided him with his finest hour as he followed up an impressive stable bow at Huntingdon with a battling success in the rain-softened ground.

Having been up with the leaders throughout, Surrey Quest stuck to his task gamely when asked for maximum effort by man-of-the-moment James Bowen, who was striking for the third time on the card.

Although not fluent two from home, the 7-2 chance still had enough in reserve to hold off Kerry Lee’s 11-4 favourite Atlanta Brave by three-quarters of a length and give owners Surrey Racing plenty to dream about moving forward.

“The ground didn’t come up as soft as we were worried about and James rode him perfectly to plan,” said Clive Hadingham, co-founder of Surrey Racing with Steve Grubb.

“We know he stays and it looks like from that performance he will stay another couple of furlongs. The front two pulled away handily from the rest. It opens up a lot of options.

“That is the biggest win for Toby and he would be probably one of the better horses in Toby’s yard. We have to give plenty of credit of Jackie Du Plessis in Cornwall, who looks after horses with niggling issues for us and she found a little issue with Quest and helped put it right – without that we wouldn’t now have the horse we have got.

“Toby has then taken that further with the training and it has been a team effort from all of them.”

He went on: “We will have to see what the handicapper does and there’s a few options. We’ll sleep on it and celebrate this and the trophy is big enough to fill up with champagne so we will take that away and have some fun!

“We will probably have a look at the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster at the end of January, but we will enjoy today and see how he comes out of it and then put our heads together.”

However, there would be no four-timer for Bowen as Henderson’s Walking On Air was denied by Ben Pauling’s Henry’s Friend (17-2) in the concluding Coral Get Closer To The Action Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

A useful hurdler last term, it was a huge improvement on the six-year-old’s Doncaster chasing debut and a performance that somewhat surprised his handler.

“I was pleased with the result, but I didn’t think he would handle the ground and I think he’s won despite this being not his most suitable conditions,” said Pauling.

“He’s done very well to win and jumped very well on the whole without ever jumping as well as he did at Doncaster last time. It was a gutsy performance and I think he is an improving novice.

“He’s always had a touch of class and this is his game (chasing), but I do think there will be a lot more to come on slightly better ground.”

Issar d’Airy made a pleasing chasing debut to strike at 4-1 in the New ‘Bet-In-Race’ With Coral Handicap Chase.

Gary Moore’s five-year-old stepped up markedly on what he had shown over hurdles and produced a superb round of jumping under Niall Houlihan as he sauntered to a four-and-a-quarter-length success over the 6-5 favourite Martator, who had attempted to make all.

“I was very pleased and he jumped very well for a horse having his first start over fences,” said Moore.

“What he beat I don’t know because the favourite went off very fast and he was never going to get home unless he was a super horse going that pace. Niall was good and patient and gave him a nice introduction and he’s done well our horse, I’m very happy.

“It will depend what the handicapper does to him, but there is a two-mile chase at Lingfield over Millions Weekend and I might look at going there, but I’m not sure.”

Meanwhile, the fine season of King George VI winning rider Gavin Sheehan continued when he scored another Saturday success aboard Olly Murphy’s Rambo T (2-1 favourite) in the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle.

“He appreciated the step back in trip and I think the race fell apart somewhat,” said Murphy.

“I thought a lot of horses were beat early in the straight, but albeit it was a good performance.

“He doesn’t stay three miles and we hope he carries on progressing. He handles soft ground well and he is a strong stayer at two-and-a-half, just doesn’t stay three. It was a good performance and hopefully he can carry on progressing.”

Captain Teague extended Paul Nicholls’ stranglehold on the Coral Challow Hurdle with a battling success at Newbury.

The Champion Bumper third had claimed the Grade Two Persian War on his hurdling debut before having to settle for second on his next start at Cheltenham, and was backed into 2-1 favouritism prior to the final Grade One of the calendar year.

As chief market rival Willmount checked out tamely turning for home, Harry Cobden was motionless in the saddle aboard Captain Teague as he had he driven-along Lookaway and Ben Pauling’s The Jukebox Man for company heading up the Newbury straight.

Approaching the last Cobden was still at pains to delay asking his mount for maximum effort, but when doing so he found a willing partner as Captain Teague stuck his head down and defied greenness to grind out a one-and-a-half-success over Neil King’s Lookaway in second and The Jukebox Man who plugged on for third.

It was a fourth successive Challow success for Nicholls, who was registering a record-extending sixth victory overall in the two-and-a-half-mile event as Captain Teague joined the likes of Denman, Bravemansgame and Stage Star on the list of Ditcheat stars to claim this valuable Grade One prize.

“He travelled well and jumped brilliantly today and he’s learning all the time,” Nicholls told ITV Racing.

“He just idled in front and I said to Harry if you are going well stride on a bit and try and put the race to bed, but he wishes he had hung on a little longer because he just doesn’t do anything in front.

“He’s basically just learning all the time and he’s a lovely horse and I’m thrilled.

“He will keep on improving and he’s a laid-back horse. We’ve done a lot of work on his jumping and he jumped better today – he didn’t jump that great at Cheltenham. It just comes too easy for him and he’s almost too laid-back. There he’s travelled well, hit the front and thinks he has done enough.

“The best you will see of him is when he jumps a fence next season and he will ultimately get three miles one day, he’s a proper horse.”

On future plans, Nicholls answered: “I will discuss it with Johnny (De La Hay, owner) and I do think soft ground is very important to him.

“If you are talking about Cheltenham and things like that and it was goodish ground you would want to be going three miles (in the Albert Bartlett) and you wouldn’t be afraid of going three miles. If it was testing ground, this sort of trip is ideal, but soft ground is important.

“If you go where Bravemansgame, Stage Star and Hermes Allen are, then he is in that sort of mix and they all ended up being decent chasers and that is where he will be one day.”

In the aftermath, Captain Teague was cut to 14-1 from 33s by both Paddy Power and Betfair for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Jeriko Du Reponet cemented his place as the favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with a comfortable success in the Coral Committed To Safer Gambling ‘Introductory’ Hurdle at Newbury.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, the four-year-old was the talking horse of the autumn following a dazzling display at a Newbury gallops morning and confirmed that promise with a facile victory over course and distance on his Rules debut earlier this month.

Returning to Newbury as the 2-5 favourite to enhance his reputation amongst better company, Jeriko Du Reponet was asked a few more questions before ultimately answering them in good style.

James Bowen, replacing the injured Nico de Boinville, kept close tabs on Gary Moore’s Officer Of State as the five-strong field meandered round Newbury and always had that rival covered heading up the home straight.

At two out he was joined at the head of proceedings by Alan King’s 95-rated Flat performer
Paradias, with Hughie Morrison’s Secret Squirrel also not far away.

Jeriko Du Reponet and Paradias jumped the last in unison, but it was the class of the Seven Barrows inmate that took over on the run to the line as he cruised clear to win by one-and-three-quarter-lengths from a staying-on Secret Squirrel, with Paradias back in third.

The winner was shortened into 5-1 favourite from 7-1 with Coral for the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival, while Paddy Power were unchanged as 6-1 market leader.

“I didn’t really want to make the running on my own as he is still inexperienced and thankfully Gary Moore’s horse went forward,” James Bowen told Racing TV.

“We hacked around, but once I gave him a squeeze he really quickened for me. I was never really in doubt but once I did squeeze him he gave me some feel. He’s good.

“He was good then and he is obviously quite a smart horse and I was very happy with him.”

Jeriko Du Reponet’s success was the second leg of a quick-fire double for Henderson and Bowen at Newbury, as Spring Note made every yard of the running to land the Play Coral ‘Racing-Super-Series’ For Free Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.

The 11-4 favourite barely saw a rival up the home straight as she surged to an emphatic 16-length triumph.

Bowen added: “To be honest I didn’t realise I was that far clear. I winged out the gates and went a good gallop all the way and probably put the race to bed between the last two hurdles.

“She was definitely slowing down up the run-in and I didn’t want anything to come and nab me but obviously I was really far clear – she has done it really well.

“Possibly the race may have fell apart, she ran over three miles last time and that didn’t suit her, but obviously a drop back in trip helped.”

Dual Cheltenham Festival hero Bob Olinger heads a field of four runners declared for the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle on New Year’s Day.

Henry de Bromhead’s charge was brilliant when winning the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle in 2021, and profited from the final fence exit of Galopin Des Champs when landing the Turners Novices’ Chase 12 months later.

The eight-year-old’s form has been in and out since, but he proved at least some of his considerable ability remains intact when making a successful start to the current campaign in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan and he returns to Prestbury Park in a bid for back-to-back Grade Two victories.

Last year’s Relkeel heroine Marie’s Rock defends her crown for Nicky Henderson and Middleham Park Racing, having disappointed on her comeback in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.

The line-up is completed by Olly Murphy’s pair of Brewin’upastorm and Strong Leader, ridden by Brian Hughes and Gavin Sheehan respectively.

Brewin’upastorm chased home West Balboa on his seasonal debut in a conditions hurdle at Aintree, while Strong Leader pushed Blueking D’Oroux close in the Grade Two Coral Hurdle at Ascot last month.

“Brewin’upastorm has been an absolute star for the yard. He is not getting any younger, but he is still in good form,” said Murphy.

“He needed his first run of the season, like he does every season. There is not much around for him apart from this race. He retains plenty of ability and I’m looking forward to running him.

“Strong Leader had a good run at Ascot and I think the outer track at Cheltenham will suit him. He seems in good form and he is still relatively unexposed. I’m hoping that he has a good each-way chance.

“He was still quite green at Ascot and there is a small chance I might fit him with a set of cheekpieces. He still has plenty left in the tank.”

The main attraction on the undercard is Stage Star, who concedes over a stone in weight to five rivals in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase.

Winner of the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival last season, the Paul Nicholls-trained eight-year-old landed a third win at Cheltenham when taking top honours in last month’s Paddy Power Gold Cup.

Stage Star faces five opponents on his return to the Cotswolds including Donald McCain’s Richmond Lake, winner of his last four races, and Ben Pauling’s Shakem Up’Arry.

Nico de Boinville will miss key rides aboard highly-touted duo Willmount and Jeriko Du Reponet at Newbury on Saturday following a fall at Doncaster on Friday.

The 34-year-old was riding 13-8 favourite Therapist for his boss Nicky Henderson in the La-Z-Boy At KC Sofa’s Fillies’ Juvenile Maiden Hurdle when coming to grief at the second-last flight, suffering a suspected collarbone injury.

It continues a mixed Christmas period for the rider who tasted success aboard his star mount Constitution Hill and hot Triumph Hurdle prospect Sir Gino at Kempton, but was unseated from Shishkin at the second last when leading Boxing Day’s King George VI Chase.

De Boinville told Sky Sports Racing: “I think it’s a collarbone job. I’ve got to go to the X-Rays and see how we are.

“What can you do, you can’t cry about it.”

Fresh from a first Grade One victory at Aintree on Boxing Day, it is fellow Seven Barrows rider James Bowen who will take De Boinville’s place aboard Willmount in the Coral Challow Hurdle and Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite Jeriko Du Reponet in the Coral Committed To Safer Gambling ‘Introductory’ Hurdle.

Bowen also picks up the ride on Steal A March for the King and Queen on the Newbury card, with David Bass taking Bowen’s place aboard outsider Brave Jen in the Challow.

Nicky Henderson is counting on the experience of Willmount coming to the fore as the exciting novice bids to maintain his unbeaten record in the Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.

Bought for £340,000 after impressing in the pointing field, Willmount performed as expected in his bumper season, winning twice at Doncaster for former trainer Neil Mulholland and creating a taking impression in the process.

Switched to Seven Barrows in the off-season by his owner Olly Harris, he picked up from where he left off for his new handler, registering a bloodless 13-length victory on his hurdling bow at Newbury in November.

He is now tasked with becoming Henderson’s third winner in the final Grade One of the calendar year and is in fact just the second runner he will saddle in the race since Champ’s success in 2018.

“We’re running him because he has a bit of experience and we wanted to split up him and Jeriko (Du Reponet), which was the main idea,” said Henderson.

“He’s a pretty sensible sort of horse and he behaves like he has been at it a while, which he has been in fairness. He had a point-to-point and then two bumpers and one run over hurdles and he knows what he is doing, I hope.

“I hope he’s a horse with a bright future, but it’s a good race – a very competitive race.”

It will be the first time Willmount will race beyond two miles under rules and although Henderson admits he may end up campaigning over further in the future, the trainer does have slight concerns about the prospect of testing ground at the Berkshire venue.

On the step up in trip, he added: “I don’t think it is imperative, I must admit. He doesn’t scream to you that he wants further, but I hope he will cope with it.

“The ground would be the biggest concern. This will be very hard work, I anticipate.”

Paul Nicholls is the race’s most successful trainer and has dominated the contest in recent years, winning the last three renewals.

Denman, Stage Star, Bravemansgame and Hermes Allen all feature on the roll of honour and the Ditcheat handler has a strong hand once again with both Champion Bumper third Captain Teague and the unbeaten Farnoge attempting to uphold the champion trainer’s fine record in the contest.

“We have two nice chances in a red-hot renewal of this Grade One which we have won for the past three years and the more it rains, the better for both my runners,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“Captain Teague ran well when a close second last time at Cheltenham under a penalty. He is an exciting prospect and will gallop all day.”

On Farnoge, he added: “He is unbeaten for us having won his bumper last season and both starts over hurdles and has earned a shot at the Challow as I don’t think he is far behind Captain Teague.

“He made all the running at Ascot, the form looks useful, he stays well, keeps on winning and soft ground will be ideal for him.”

Another heading to the contest with a lofty reputation is Jonjo O’Neill’s Johnnywho, who is unbeaten both between the flags and under rules and sports the green and gold of owner JP McManus, while Ben Pauling’s The Jukebox Man is yet to put a foot wrong since finishing runner-up to Gidleigh Park in a bumper and runs in the colours of Harry Redknapp.

Masaccio was just touched off by a smart Seven Barrows operator in Jingko Blue over course and distance earlier this month and represents the Alan King team that won this in 2016 with Messire Des Obeaux.

Meanwhile, Neil King has elected to step Lookaway up in trip after his three-race winning run came to an end when a gallant second in the Greatwood Hurdle.

“I thought we had the best handicapped horse in England going into the Greatwood, but Mr Henderson had one better, but he ran a terrific race to finish second,” said King.

“He’s been in very good form since, we just gave him a little break afterwards to get ready for Newbury but we had plenty of time on our hands, so he is raring to go now.

“After the Greatwood, both Jack (Quinlan) and I feel that stepping him up in trip might be the way forward to seek out a bit of improvement in him and as a Grade One we need to improve.

“It looks a competitive renewal, but he deserves his place in the line-up and I’m sure if he was trained by Mr Henderson or Mr Nicholls he would be half the price that he is.”

Course runner-up Brave Jen is a second runner in the race for Henderson, with Ella Pickard’s Bullets Hill completing the line-up.

Jeriko Du Reponet returns to the scene of his impressive debut attempting to enhance his burgeoning reputation in the Coral Committed To Safer Gambling ‘Introductory’ Hurdle on Saturday.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, the point winner became the talk of the town when dazzling at Newbury on the pre-Coral Gold Cup gallops morning and lived up to expectations when taking to the track, with an easy three-and-a-quarter-length victory over course and distance.

Already favourite with most firms for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, he now faces stiffer opposition as he continues to build up his experience ahead of bigger assignments to come.

“He’s a big horse and he’s only had one point-to-point and one hurdle race which didn’t tell us very much,” said Henderson. “But he did what he had to and was learning all the way.

“This is a better-quality field and we will see how we go here.”

Lying in wait for the four-year-old are four rivals, including Alan King’s Lingfield scorer and 94-rated Flat performer Paradias and Hughie Morrison’s Secret Squirrel, who is three from three following a taking success at Kempton on his hurdles debut.

“He’s only four and is very inexperienced. He hasn’t been through the point-to-points and hasn’t ran on the Flat, so is still really green really,” said Morrison.

“I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do and he probably should be running in a softer novice but the ground could be even worse soon and in two weeks’ time it could be rained off, snowed off or even frozen.

“It’s all about experience and the Henderson horse looks like the next Sprinter Sacre, Altior, Shishkin-type heir apparent there and a 95-rated Flat horse can make a pretty decent jumper as I know from Not So Sleepy, so he could run very well and finish third.

“But it isn’t too far from home and so far Newbury has avoided a lot of the rain, well the worst of it. I just want him to have a nice experience.”

Henderson will also hope to taste success with the King and Queen’s Steal A March in the Coral Racing Club Join For Free Handicap Hurdle.

The eight-year-old was well fancied for a Cheltenham Festival handicap last term before injury struck and now returns from 369 days off the track bidding to pick up where he left off, having scored at Wincanton when last seen.

Dan Skelton’s Get A Tonic impressed when bolting up over course and distance earlier this month and is likely to be a warm order for a repeat, while Paul Nicholls’ Irish Hill was well held on that occasion but is now tried in first-time blinkers off a mark 1lb lower than his last successful rating.

Nicholls told Betfair: “I’m putting a pair of blinkers on Irish Hill to try to sharpen him up because I’m not convinced he put everything in last time at this track.

“Hopefully he can go well off a mark of 127.”

A competitive field has also assembled for the Coral Mandarin Handicap Chase, where Surrey Quest is one of the leading contenders.

Formally trained at Seven Barrows, he made a brilliant start to life in the care of ex-Henderson assistant Toby Lawes when a fast-finishing six-and-a-half-length scorer at Huntingdon and now tries to follow up after an 8lb rise.

“He won well on his debut for Toby and will certainly appreciate the extra distance,” said Clive Hadingham, co-founder of Surrey Racing with Steve Grubb.

“He had a minor op after that race and, while he’s in great shape, he would have preferred this race to be a week later. The ground will be perfect – he wouldn’t want any more rain – but we are happy to take a chance.”

State Man confirmed his status as the biggest threat to the mighty Constitution Hill by proving too strong for stablemate Impaire Et Passe in the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown.

State Man has yet to taste defeat when completing over obstacles in Ireland and last season won the Morgiana Hurdle, the Matheson Hurdle, the Irish Champion Hurdle and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle.

The Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old was no match for Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, though, and while he had made a fine start to the new campaign when successfully defending his Morgiana crown last month, in Impaire Et Passe he faced a new and considerable rival from within his own yard.

The latter was four from four as a novice hurdler last season, a tally which included Grade One wins at Cheltenham and Punchestown, and although he was narrowly beaten on his comeback in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse, plenty expected him to give State Man a real run for his money at Leopardstown.

State Man was a 4-7 favourite to secure back-to-back Matheson wins, with Impaire Et Passe a 7-4 shot, and it was clear rounding the home turn that the defending champion was travelling the better of the pair having taken over from long-time leader Fils D’oudairies.

Impaire Et Passe did respond to Daryl Jacob’s urgings to close the gap, but State Man safely negotiated the final flight and did not look like being caught thereafter, with Paul Townend pushing his mount out to to the line to score comfortably by three and a quarter lengths.

Paddy Power reacted to the result by not only cutting State Man’s Champion Hurdle odds to 4-1 from 5-1, but also trimming Constitution Hill’s price to 1-3 from 2-5. Impaire Et Passe is out to 12-1 from 5-1 with the same firm.

Grangeclare West could finally deliver on his huge price tag and early promise judged on a runaway success in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

The seven-year-old cost Cheveley Park Stud £430,000 after winning his only start in the point-to-point field, and he looked an exciting recruit for champion trainer Willie Mullins after landing a Punchestown bumper and a maiden hurdle at Navan on his first two appearances under rules.

The wheels fell off in the second half of the campaign, though, with Grangeclare West disappointing in successive Grade Ones at Naas and Leopardstown, and while he made the most of having his sights lowered at Punchestown in the spring, he began the current campaign with something to prove.

But having made all the running on his chasing debut at Naas last month, the Presenting gelding proved he does have what it takes to make his mark at the highest level, travelling and jumping with elan in the hands of Paul Townend before easing to the lead rounding the home turn.

As he did aboard Thursday’s scintillating Savills Chase winner Galopin Des Champs, Townend angled Grangeclare West to the stands’ side rail in the home straight and he safely negotiated the final fence to seal a six-length victory over 13-8 favourite Corbetts Cross without being extended.

After adopting his customary pacesetting role for much of the three-mile contest, dual Stayers’ Hurdle hero Flooring Porter faltered in the straight and passed the post well held in third.

Mullins said: “I didn’t expect that now – I thought he would run well, but that was a top race.

“Paul was worried about him pulling too hard and he’d want to be as fit as he is because he just pulled his arms out for the three miles. To do that, on that ground and win like that going away was a huge performance.

“His jumping was excellent. He just came out of Paul’s hands at the first fence and from then on Paul was just trying to settle him back. He got him back jumping normally.

“He’s just a natural chaser.”

Paddy Power make Grangeclare West their 4-1 favourite, cut from 14-1, for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and Mullins confirmed that race as a likely target.

He added: “He might go for the Brown Advisory and Fact To File (won at Leopardstown on Thursday) might go for the Turners. We’ll see, it is a nice problem to have.

“We might come back here to the Dublin Racing Festival first. I’m delighted to win a Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas with him.”

The Closutton handler also confirmed another high-class staying novice chaser in his yard, Klassical Dream, will miss the rest of the campaign after suffering injury when being prepared for this race.

He said: “Unfortunately, he is out for the season after his last bit of work. We will just let the injury settle down over Christmas, but it is very unfortunate.”

Jetara continued her rise through the ranks with a comprehensive success in the BeattheBank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Jessica Harrington’s inmate is bred to be pretty smart, with her dam Jelan being a sister to several top-class performers – including Jetson, Jett, Jered and Champion Hurdle hero Jezki.

Listed bumper winner Jetara did not manage to get her head in front during her first season over obstacles but did chase home one-time Classic contender High Definition and smart mare Ashroe Diamond, and her lack of a victory meant she retained her novice status for the new campaign.

The five-year-old was well beaten in a Down Royal Grade Three on her reappearance, but bolted up in a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse next time before adding another Listed win to her CV at Punchestown, and she was prominent in the market at 5-2 as she returned to Graded company at Foxrock.

Always travelling strongly in the hands of Jack Kennedy, Jetara was sent to the front jumping the final flight before the home turn and she was not for catching thereafter, galloping up the straight to score by seven and a half lengths from Pink In The Park, with 13-8 favourite Risk Belle back in third.

Harrington said: “She jumped and settled and he (Kennedy) said he couldn’t believe how much she picked up. He thought he had got there plenty soon enough and, when he asked her, she picked up well.

“We are delighted with her. She will be better on better ground – the whole family want better ground. She is the only one of them that is happy on that soft ground.

“She will probably come back here for the novice hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. We might as well, as she is still a novice. She jumps very slick and they (geldings) will have to give her 7lb.

“Then we will probably wait for Fairyhouse, which is early this year, for the mares’ Grade One. That will be kind of her programme.”