HE mightn’t have come up to scratch on his Irish debut at Galway but two months later Gordon Elliott’s Grand Roi looked a more polished, professional and better sort in the Grade 2 Grant Thornton Hurdle.

A big money purchase from the Million In Mind Partnership at Doncaster in July, Grand Roi didn’t jump that well on his first start for Elliott but that came in a smart race where Beacon Edge and Minella Melody filled the first two placings. The benefit of time and a switch to four-year-old-only company enabled the son of Spanish Moon to take a step forward and this still unexposed type looks an interesting prospect for the second half of the season.