MONKFISH and Gerri Colombe won the 2020 and 2022 editions of the W.T. O’Grady Memorial Irish EBF Novice Hurdle at Thurles, and have both gone on to become Grade 1 winners over fences since.

On Sunday, High Class Hero became the latest winner of the contest, though the race itself hardly ranked as a true test for Cheltenham in March.