BOODLES JUVENILE HANDICAP HURDLE (GRADE 3)

THE utterly inevitable first Cheltenham Festival winner for Joseph O’Brien duly arrived and, entirely appropriately given the season that he has had with his juvenile hurdlers, it came courtesy of Band Of Outlaws.

This useful flat handicapper has really impressed since switching to hurdles in the winter and posted an utterly compelling trial for this race when bolting up in a rated hurdle at Naas last month. Even though Band Of Outlaws found himself towards the head of the weights he looked a worthy 7/2 favourite and, in truth, his supporters would have been looking on contentedly for much of the race.

As is his wont, Band Of Outlaws travelled very nicely for J.J. Slevin – riding his second Festival winner – and the only moment of worry came in the straight where a gap between Praeceps and Coko Beach shut in front of him before the final flight. Slevin had any amount of horse underneath him though and switched his mount before coming with an irresistible charge on the climb to the line. Indeed Slevin never had to get vigorous for the Irish Lincoln entry to prevail by two lengths from Coko Beach, who had finished third to the winner when they met at Naas last month. Ciel De Niege, on his first start for Willie Mullins, made it a clean sweep for the visitors.

“We thought that he might be a graded horse over hurdles but he needed to be to win a race like this off 139,” declared O’Brien who trains the gelding for Justin Carthy. “It’s nice to get a winner. We felt we had a few chances yesterday and they all ran well without winning and it’s great to get a winner here.

“He is not an easy ride because you cannot get there too soon on him. It got a bit tight between horses coming to the last but J.J. let them have at it before coming around them which was right thing to do because he does have a look when he gets to the front.”