Willie Mullins' charge was a triple winner on the Flat in his native France and ran away with the two-mile, four furlongs Madigans Maiden Hurdle, slamming Harpsy Cord by 16 lengths.
The four-year-old is now best-price 14/1 (Victor Chandler and Stan James) for the Neptune, whilst Skybet were even more impressed and introduced So Young at 10/1 for the Neptune, with spokesman Matt Doyle explaining: "The money for the favourite told us he was strongly fancied to make a winning debut and he has slammed this field to give Willie Mullins another useful string to his bow among his novice hurdlers."
A number of bookmakers also promoted So Young to favouritism in the longer Alfred Bartlett Novices Hurdle in March, for which he is now best-price 10/1 (Bet365).
Another impressive winner at Leopardstown yesterday was Pandorama who claimed the much-awaited Lexus Chase. Pandorama won the three mile event with a very impressive performance and is now considered by bookmakers to be a serious threat for the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup for which the seven-year-old is now as short as 10/1 and best-price 16/1 (Victor Chandler and Bet365).
The victorious contender of the Lexus Chase was always considered a champion by his fans and connections because of his great potential and talent. Nonetheless, this is the first time Pandorama has been considered the top Irish Gold Cup challenger by the bookies.
His trainer Noel Meade, who had previously seen the dominating novice hurdler and chaser pulling up before midway in Newbury’s Hennessy Gold Cup, said, “He might not have beaten any Kauto Star's, but you’d have to think he will improve for the experience.”
However, he sounded a note of caution when quizzed about the upcoming Cheltenham Festival: “We can dare to dream after that, but I wouldn’t run him on anything better than yielding. He’ll come back here for the Hennessy in February and we’ll take it one race at a time.”
In other ante-post Festival news, it has been revealed by trainer Gordon Elliott that sensational Ebor winner Dirar could be set for a tilt at the County Hurdle next March.
The six-year-old finished fifth in the Group Two Doncaster Cup and had finished behind Overturn in the Galway Hurdle after his success at York. Now Elliot will be looking for a suitable all-weather contest to warm up Dirar ahead of his tilt at the world’s most prestigious race meeting.
"Dirar is a great little horse. He'll probably have a run somewhere on the Flat in the last week in February or early March and then he'll go for the County Hurdle," Elliott explained.
"There's no Dundalk at that stage so we'll have to travel with him, but he doesn't mind that so the County Hurdle will be first on his agenda. Hopefully one of the tracks might put a race on for him but I haven't looked in the programme book yet. That's what I have in my mind though.
"I think the County Hurdle should suit him well," he confirmed and Dirar is now best-price 14/1 (Stan James) for the two mile, one furlong hurdle in March.
Today will see other Cheltenham fancies testing their credentials. Ghizao, favourite with some bookmakers for the Arkle Chase, attempts to enhance his reputation in a fiercely competitive novice chase at Newbury.
The Paul Nicholls-trained six-year-old, who stormed to a Grade 2 triumph at Cheltenham last month, is Arkle favourite with best-price 12/1 on offer from Paddy Power, who also quote two of Ghizao's Newbury rivals towards the head of their ante-post Arkle betting.
Captain Chris, runner-up to Ghizao last time, returns having undergone a breathing operation, while Nicky Henderson takes the wraps off Surfing, fifth in a Grade 3 chase when last seen in his native France.
Still trained in France is Guillaume Macaire's Lucky To Be, while others of interest in the nine-runner line-up are the smart Dee Ee Williams and Little George.
Previous winners of the two mile 2½f event include Kauto Star and Planet Of Sound.
Big Zeb, Zaidpour and Hurricane Fly all feature on star-studded Leopardstown card later today.
Last season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase hero Big Zeb continues his preparation for a repeat bid at the top two-milers’ race over fences at the Festival when contesting the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase, a race he won in 2008.
Colm Murphy’s charge faces Golden Silver, whom he outpointed on his reappearance in the Fortria Chase at Navan last month. However, the latter, who landed this Grade 1 event last year, scored in decisive fashion at Fairyhouse subsequently and is expected to push Big Zeb harder on this occasion.
However, both could be thwarted by Captain Cee Bee, who made a good start to the season when landing a Grade 3 at Naas at the end of October. This strong-travelling gelding’s sole disappointment over fences was when well held in the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, but he was found to have broken a blood vessel on that occasion.
The nine-year-old proved that effort all wrong when scoring at the Punchestown Festival a month later, and he looked poised to beat the top-class Sizing Europe before falling at the final fence in the Irish Arkle over this C&D last season.
If Captain Cee Bee does beat Golden Silver, there’s likely to be rich compensation for the Mullins stable in the two Grade 1 contests over hurdles on this card, however. Mullins’ Zaidpour has looked the real deal in his two starts over timber since being recruited from France, hacking up in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse earlier this month.
The four-year-old is currently best-price 9/2 (Paddy Power) second-favourite for the Supreme Novices Hurdle and best-price 6/1 (Stan James) favourite for the Neptune Novices Hurdle at the Festival. He will therefore be a very short price for the Future Champions Novice Hurdle later today.
Ireland’s champion National Hunt trainer also saddles Hurricane Fly in the Leopardstown Festival Hurdle. He was beaten by Solwhit at Punchestown last winter, but has mastered that rival in their two meetings since, including in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse two weeks ago, and would establish himself as the leading Irish Champion Hurdle contender by winning this race.
Tomorrow at Leopardstown Mikael d'Haguenet races in an extended two mile Novices Chase. So unlucky at Fairyhouse recently when coming down at the last when seemingly set for victory, the 2009 Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle winner should prove too classy for the likes of Noble Prince and Loosen My Load. Mikael d'Haguenet can currently be backed at best-price 8/1 (Victor Chandler) for the 2011 RSA Chase and best-price 25/1 (Bet365) for the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Ghizao is a best-price 12/1 Arkle Chase favourite ahead of his run at Newbury today
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