DETERIORATING conditions, or not, you had to be impressed by the time and the visuals served up by the Joseph O’Brien-trained Fakir d’Oudairies when winning the opening JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham last Saturday.

He ran easily the fastest average speed on the card – admittedly in one of only two races at around two miles – and powered clear to win by 13 lengths, clocking a 147 timefigure that puts him nicely clear of Torpillo (140) among juvenile hurdlers so far. Even odds of 5/1 for the Triumph Hurdle itself do not look at all bad, though the slight caveat is that his form in France and maiden win at Cork also all came on ground softer than good.