JOHN Dwan of Ballyreddin Stud saw an almost immediate return on his €40,000 investment three days earlier when Altior won the Grade 2 Sharp Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday. Days earlier Dwan acquired the winner’s Milan half-brother at Tattersalls Ireland.

Altior was bred by Paddy Behan and sold for €60,000 to Highflyer Bloodstock at the Goffs Land Rover Sale in 2013 as a three-year-old. A bumper winner and placed in a listed event from three starts in that code, the son of High Chaparral is now unbeaten in three starts over hurdles and is a leading candidate for the major novice hurdles for trainer Nicky Henderson.