THE horse to take out of the International Hurdle, however, with an eye on the future was Melon. Willie Mullins’ horse may have been beaten, he may have only finished third, but, unusually for a beaten favourite, he enhanced his reputation in defeat.

A couple of things to remember about Melon. Firstly, he is only five, and he was racing on Saturday for just the fifth time in his life over hurdles. He still has lots to learn about racing over hurdles in top competition, he still has lots of potential for progression.