HERCULE Du Seuil recorded a second win of the season at Navan on Sunday following the fitting of a tongue-tie. The five-year-old raced enthusiastically at the head of affairs, hurdling fluently before a slight mistake at the last almost opened the door for Imagine (140).

However, to illustrate there was still plenty left in the legs of the J.P. McManus-owned gelding, he picked up again to maintain the three-quarter-length margin to the line as he finished off his race in 44.6secs.

Three Card Brag (138+) finished with purpose and stopped the clocked at the same time as the winner from the third last hurdle. There is a case for suggesting the son of Jet Away would have won if jumping with more fluency at either the start of the sectional or the second last.

Tested

The first three home are all entered in the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novices’ Hurdle at Fairyhouse when my theory may be tested. Looking beyond the first weekend in December, I would also suggest Gordon Elliott’s five-year-old will improve when stepping up in trip.

It could pay to add the first two home in the two-mile handicap, Dollys Destination (115) and Gold Speed (115), to your tracker. In a slowly run race they both conquered being disadvantaged by track position with strong finishes.

Dollys Destination covered the ground from the third last hurdle in 43.8secs to hold-on by a diminishing neck as the runner-up almost defied bunny-hopping the third last to wrestle victory from the jaws of defeat, courtesy of a closing sectional of 43.1secs.