Death Duty took his unbeaten record over smaller obstacles to three with an emphatic performance in the Navan Novice Hurdle at the Co Meath track on Sunday.

Successful at Roscommon and Navan this season, the Gordon Elliott-trained five-year-old completed the hat-trick with a stylish display in this Grade 2 contest.

Monalee set out to make all the running, but Death Duty (6/4) always had him his sights and cruised alongside the leader at the second-last flight.

Bryan Cooper just had to shake him up and the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding pulled away to score by three and three-quarter lengths.

Monalee held Invitation Only, the even-money favourite, for second place.

Death Duty was shortened in price as the ante-post favourite for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, for which he is now trading at odds of around 5/2.

Elliott said: "He's done it well and we like him a lot. I thought he'd improved a bit from the last day, and Bryan said he was on the bridle more this time.

"He will go now for the Grade 1 (Lawlors Hotel) novice hurdle at Naas (January 8th). He looks an Albert Bartlett type."

Cooper said: "His jumping kills other horses, and he gets four lengths at a hurdle when another horse might get two.

"Shane McCann rides him in all his work, and he told me that he has more gears than you think. He's not as slow as we think, and he has plenty of options."

Automated came from last to first under a fine Bryan Cooper ride to give himself and Gordon Elliott a quickfire double in the Tara Handicap Hurdle at Navan.

Last year's winner Rossvoss cut out the early pace with Automated's stablemate Clarcam until the race began to heat up with three flights left to jump.

Scoir Mear, the 3/1 favourite, took it up from two out, but Automated (8/1) came with a telling run to skip clear after the last and win by a length and a quarter.

The first two pulled 20 lengths clear of Gurteen in third place. Elliott said: "Bryan gave him a peach of a ride. Ideally, he wants to be a length or two down at the last and come with one run as he does not like to be in front too long. The conditions suited and the track suited him."

Glenloe gave Elliott a 55/1 treble at Navan when just getting the better of Call The Taxie after a prolonged battle in the John Lynch Carpets Maiden Hurdle.

The 6/4 favourite, ridden by Barry Geraghty for owner JP McManus, was made to fight every inch of the way to see off a game adversary by a neck.

The leading pair pulled 26 lengths clear of the third horse, A Rated.

Elliott said: "He's a grand horse but it was probably a weak enough race. He had his head in front at the right time. He's bred to be a staying chaser as he's a brother of Alfie Sherrin."

Expensive bumper horse Samcro (1/3) completed the Elliott four-timer when making all and winning the bumper under Jamie Codd Gigginstown.

Elliott and Gigginstown also had a winner with Shattered Love at Thurles.

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