THE fine run being enjoyed by owner J.P. McManus continued at Chepstow on Tuesday as 4/5 favourite Defi Du Seuil maintained his unbeaten record in the Grade 1 coral.co.uk Future Champions Finale Junior Hurdle.

There have possibly been more competitive renewals but horses can only beat those that turn up on the day and Defi Du Seuil, having led soon after four out, could even afford a mistake at the next and slipshod efforts at the last two before pulling away for Richard Johnson to beat Evening Hush by 13 lengths, with Dolos third.

A bumper winner in France before joining Philip Hobbs, the winner has now chalked up four straight victories over hurdles and may well start favourite for the JCB Triumph, though prices vary from a very cautious 3/1 with Paddy Power to Ladbrokes’ more realistic 7/1.

“We’ve had some very good juvenile hurdlers in the past but this horse is right up there with them,” the trainer enthused. “The only minus was his jumping up the straight, which was appalling and maybe something we have to work on, though he was possibly in front for too long and had jumped perfectly well down the far side.

“He could go straight to Cheltenham but he’s very, very tough so maybe we’ll look at the four-year-old hurdle on trials day at the end of January.”

Johnson, enjoying another very successful afternoon, was clearly impressed by the turn of foot Defi Du Seuil showed when turning into the aright. “If we had a wet spring he’d take a lot of beating against the top juveniles,” he said.

Evening Hush, a heavy ground winner on the flat in Ireland, is a talented filly but could not make her 7lb allowance count. She is to be aimed at the Adonis Hurdle by her trainer Evan Williams, who remarked: “The winner today is a machine, make no mistake. He’s brilliant, we’re just very good.”