Gannon's City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)

IT will take a fair sort to lower the colours of Narciso Has in next month’s JCB Triumph Hurdle on the evidence of a dominant victory in the Gannon's City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle - now no bigger than 6/4 (from 3/1) to follow up at the Cheltenham Festival.

This result will have made for extremely pleasant reading for his trainer, Willie Mullins, whose French recruit Selma De Vary ran a race full of promise in her own right when running on for second in the Susannah Ricci colours, four and a half lengths behind the winner and a length and a half in front of Mange Tout.

The even-money favourite was too hot to handle on the front end, jumping and travelling with great maturity for a juvenile - and powering on rounding the home bend to take the rest out of their comfort zone.

Walsh said: “He's a different horse from the first day I rode him at Fairyhouse [when beaten by Mange Tout] on his first run in Ireland, out of France. He was a big baby and was behind the bridle the whole way. I made all the running today; just a different horse completely.

“I was good and long at the last - I could hear the boys coming, so I had to go for it - and in fairness to this lad, he has loads of scope. He came there and winged it.

“He's a lovely horse, a great ride. you just pop out in front there and he doesn't bat an eyelid. He’s a joy. It’s only his fourth run so you'd be hoping to improve with every start.”

It appears that Mullins’ four-year-old hurdlers could be the pick of the bunch by some way, with the McManus-owned Proactif another serious contender for the Triumph as 6/1 third favourite.

“It was a very good performance, he did it the hard way from the front,” said the champion trainer.

“He settles lovely in front, jumps well in front, and has enough for a kick at the end. He’s mature as well and, looking at him, I think he’s going to make into a nice chaser. He’s a fine, big, specimen of a horse.”

On runner-up Selma De Vary, he said: “She missed a lot of time and I think she’ll improve a good bit for that run. She was a little bit green going to the last. Paul [Townend] brought her wide, he didn’t want to get involved with the others. I think she’s a filly that has a big future. She looks like one for the Triumph as well and then possibly back to Punchestown. We could also go to the race in Fairyhouse, we’ll see.”

When asked about Proactif, who won on his Irish debut at Fairyhouse last month, Mullins added: “I doubt he’ll get a run in before Cheltenham, I’d imagine he’ll go straight there. You could run him but it just gets too tight. I’m happy that he’s fine to go there.”