De Bromhead has Festival chance
Henry de Bromhead's hurdler made up for his fall at Newcastle with an impressive win as he blitzed the field and downed odds-on favourite Nichols Canyon
PETIT MOUCHOIR emerged as a major contender for the Champion Hurdle with a stunning victory on the final day of the Christmas Festival at Leopardstown.
Henry de Bromhead's five-year-old was a 6-1 shot for the Ryanair Hurdle, with last year's winner Nichols Canyon the 2-5 favourite to provide Willie Mullins with yet another winner over the festive period.
Having fallen three flights from the finish when appearing to hold every chance in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle last month, Petit Mouchoir was sent straight to the lead by Bryan Cooper and jumped slickly to keep up the momentum.
Nichols Canyon closed the gap on the run to the second-last, but Petit Mouchoir jumped it the quicker and showed an impressive change of gear to leave his rivals trailing in his wake, eventually coming home with seven lengths in hand.
De Bromhead's hurdler was cut to around 10-1 for the Champion Hurdle and a shot at the two-mile hurdling crown now looks top of his agenda.
"It was amazing. Bryan gave him some ride. It was brilliant and he jumped deadly," said De Bromhead.
"I never expect anything like that - I'm miserable. I was hoping he'd run well.
"Just to go and do what he did, it reminds me of a horse (Sizing Europe) a few years ago that we had that did something like that.
"I'll speak to Eddie and Michael (O'Leary of owners Gigginstown Stud), but I think we have every right to consider the Champion Hurdle.
"He hasn't had a hard season thus far, so the Irish Champion Hurdle might be a plan.
"I'm just blown away."
There was a pulsating climax to the Neville Hotels Novice Chase, with the Jessica Harrington-trained Our Duke (4-1) seeing out the three miles best to narrowly outpoint Coney Island and Disko.
Harrington said: "He's unbelievable. After the mistake he made at the second last, I thought that was his chance gone, but he doesn't know how to give up.
"He has plenty of stamina and three miles is no problem.
"Today was the plan. He's probably not a horse that takes a lot of racing.
"He had a hard enough race there and he won't be appearing for a while now."
Our Duke is a general 10-1 shot for the RSA Chase at Cheltenham and the trainer added: "He could go there. It kind of suits him with the hill and everything. We'll see what happens."
Despite the disappointment of Nichols Canyon's reverse, it was another fine day at the office for Mullins, with two winners at Leopardstown and three at Limerick taking the champion trainer's tally over the four-day Christmas period to a staggering 22.
High-class bumper performer Battleford (4-9 favourite) bounced back from a disappointing hurdling debut with victory in the Guinness Maiden Hurdle, before Let's Dance (1-3 favourite) oozed class in the Willis Towers Watson EBF Mares Hurdle.
Mullins said: "Battleford was very good, but a bit novicey at a few of his hurdles.
"Three miles won't be a problem to him and he's a really tough horse.
"Let's Dance did it well and jumped and galloped like we thought she would do. We're pleased with her and she's improving all the time.
"The mares' novice (at Cheltenham) is only two miles and she might go out further in trip. She may go for the (OLBG) Mares' Hurdle even though she's only a novice. She'll be entered in both."
Veteran trainer Patrick Duffy's one and only horse Courtncatcher knuckled down to claim top honours in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase.
Joseph O'Brien's Exactoris was a 4-1 winner of the Top Oil EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle and the Robbie McNamara-trained Quick Grabim dominated the concluding Donohoe Marquees Flat Race.
McNamara said: "He's a nice horse. We thought he'd win the first day and the ground went against him.
"The plan before he even ran was the champion bumper at Punchestown as we thought a lot of him.
"I don't want to go to Cheltenham with him as he's too immature to go there. We have one or two others that might go there."
