DUC Des Genievres ran out a facile winner of the Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy at Cheltenham.

With trainer Willie Mullins having already teamed up with Ruby Walsh to land the opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Klassical Dream, Duc Des Genievres (5/1) made it two from two in the hands of Paul Townend.

The result was scarcely in doubt, with the French-bred six-year-old grey fencing fluently throughout the two-mile contest in behind the pacesetting Knocknanuss, before taking over the lead still full of running before the home turn.

Townend, enjoying a ninth Festival success, said: "I got a dream run around. He really put it together the last day, when he was impressive, and thankfully he put it together again today. He handled the ground very well, as he did the last time, and it surprised me how well I was going at the top of hill. At least he kept going and was foot perfect."

Speaking after the race, Mullins said: "Obviously this rain has just come in time. I was moaning at 10am that nothing had come - there was a lot of wind last night but no rain. It has just worked the oracle for this horse and made a huge difference to him."

"It feels very good, considering where I thought I was two or three weeks ago, looking at the string and going round our ground and horses we had tried to get runs into and couldn't. It looks like we've got two nice horses there anyway, and a few to come - and some nice ones at home that we never got out.

"It's very early days at the Cheltenham Festival but it's fantastic to have two winners by this stage. There's a lot more to happen over the next four days, though," he added.

Clondaw Castle briefly looked a threat, but soon weakened as Duc Des Genievres found another gear in the straight to leave his rivals trailing in his wake.

Us And Them came home best of the rest, but passed the post some 13 lengths behind the dominant winner. Glen Forsa unseated Jonathan Burke early on, while 100/30 favourite Hardline never threatened to land a telling blow and ultimately finished seventh.

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