BAR ONE RACING

ROYAL BOND NOVICE

HURDLE (GRADE 1)

MENGLI Khan is now a top-priced 7/1 favourite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after initiating a Grade 1 treble for both Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud by taking the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle in very convincing fashion.

The son of Lope De Vega tracked the pace set by stable-companion Morgan and struck the front soon after two out. The well-backed evens favourite took control before the final flight and stayed on well under Jack Kennedy to beat Early Doors by five and a half lengths with a further 15 lengths to Hardline in third.

Early Doors ran with plenty of credit considering he made a mess of the second last and was also untidy at the last, while Makitorix dropped out after a blunder four out and was eventually pulled-up before the last.

Elliott said: “I was disappointed with him last year and said we’d keep him as a novice for this season. He could be a better horse on better ground and is a two-miler which we don’t have too many of. Gigginstown buy big three-mile chasers but it’s nice to have a few of these as well.

“We will probably have a look at something over Christmas..

“He’ll stick to two miles and if everything stays right we have a few nice horses for each of the categories. He’s a big horse and Hugo Palmer did some job to get him to the track as a two-year-old. With the ear plugs on today he nearly switched off too much but he’s a good horse and is learning all the time.”

Kennedy, still only 18 years of age, said: “He was very good. He settled and jumped great. When I got upsides Mark Walsh going to the second last he picked up and went on well from there. I was always very confident on him, he’s a good horse.”