TEAHUPOO has been the gift that keeps on giving for Gordon Elliott, Robcour and Jack Kennedy, and the first time he was unwrapped for the festive period at Leopardstown yielded one of his most impressive performances ever in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle.

Only a nose separated the ultra-consistent stayer and his great Hatton’s Grace Hurdle rival Ballyburn when they clashed at Fairyhouse last month. With the Willie Mullins-trained chaser-turned-hurdler finishing out strongly over two and a half miles then, layers sent Ballyburn off as 13/8 favourite to turn the tables on Teahupoo (5/2) at this longer trip. However, the red-hot Elliott team were in no mood to follow that script.

With Rocky’s Diamond setting an honest test in front, there was no hiding place and Teahupoo’s stamina massively came to the fore - always finding enough and finishing seven lengths clear of a running-on Bob Olinger, who showed more than a flicker of his old spark on the eve of his 11th birthday.

Ballyburn didn’t appear to have many obvious excuses in third, barring that some of his stable’s biggest guns haven’t quite been dazzling to their usual standards here this week.

So often we see the middle of the season bypassed with Teahupoo in a bid to ensure maximum freshness for Cheltenham in March, but the call to run him here proved an inspired one.

Elliott said: “He was good. You’d be nervous looking at him halfway through a race as he always looks like he’s going as fast as he can, but that’s the way he races. He’s a good horse and the faster they went the better. He can do it every way.

“Years ago when you were looking at Big Buck’s and Inglis Drever, they always said they were behind the bridle the whole way and that’s the exact same way that he races. He’s a great horse and we’re lucky to have him.

“Jack was delighted and said he felt as good as ever. He didn’t do a lot when he got there! He pulls himself up but that’s what he is.”

Bookmakers responded to the impressive performance by cutting Teahupoo into 7/4 favourite (from 3/1) for the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, while Ballyburn was eased out to a general 10/1 (from 11/4). Reigning title holder Bob Olinger is now 10/1 (from 14/1).

Elliott added: “Sometimes we can be guilty of not letting people see these horses enough. You can see the cheer he got when he came in, that’s what people need to see, seeing these good horses coming out.

“It was a big rematch with Ballyburn and if Ballyburn had won, he would have gotten as big a reception because he’s a champion as well. We can’t forget about Bob Olinger, he’s some horse as well.”