Lightly-raced eight-year-old Answer To Kayf (7/2) confirmed his Christmas promise when landing today's useful Connolly's Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Novice Hurdle at Naas, for patient trainer Terence O'Brien.

The Kayf Tara-gelding has an ungainly head carriage and made a belated debut in a November 2022 point-to-point but has recently shown smart form and during Christmas, was Grade 2-placed at Limerick.

Ridden again by John Shinnick, who was able to utilise his 7lb today, Answer To Kayf faced a pair of Willie Mullins-trained runners with smart form, eventually defeating Cheltenham Bumper-sixth Captain Cody into second with stablemate and Aintree Festival runner-up Blizzard Of Oz finished fifth.

City Island won the 2019 renewal of today's race prior to landing Cheltenham's Ballymore Novices´ Hurdle on his next start and today O'Brien revealed “we gave Answer To Kayf an entry in the Albert Bartlett and I was also thinking of going for the Martin Pipe - we’ll see how he comes out of today.

“Eighteen months ago he couldn’t win a novice riders’ maiden in Wexford. He had a lot of problems with his hocks and was lame after his maiden hurdle run in Killarney last year, when beaten 24 lengths.

“He was then put out on grass and came in sound and hasn’t taken a lame step since. He’s twice the horse he was. It’s great as Denis (O’Connor, owner) has been a great supporter. He’s really patient and it’s great that it has paid off for him.”

He added “we always hoped after his Limerick run that he’d be good enough to win this but when I saw Willie’s two in it, I was worried. He jumped really well and hit the line well. He did everything that I hoped and more.

“There is a great prize for the Final of this Series in Punchestown and I suppose that is probably the main aim. Whether we take in Cheltenham in the meantime we’ll see how he comes out of this.

“I’d say he’s flexible in terms of trip. He’s not a slow horse and I didn’t think he was stopping there at the finish.

“Johnny’s 7lb claim was obviously a big help today and we’ll see what the handicapper does with him after this.”

Paddy Power cut Answer To Kayf to 16/1(NRNB), from 20s, for the Albert Bartlett Hurdle.

Quotes from Alan Magee