Hercule Du Seuil was sent straight to the front by jockey Mark Walsh and never headed, when making all the running, in the Grade 3 Gibney's For Auction Novice Hurdle at Navan.

A winner of his maiden at Tipperary last time, the ex-Frenched trained gelding jumped well in the main, before showing a determined attitude to see off the strong challenge of eventual second, Imagine

Walsh managed to settle the Willie Mullins trained winner at the head of affairs and kept finding when challenged in the straight. A slow jump at the final flight opened up the race for his rivals but Walsh had enough in reserve to hold them at bay.

Imagine stayed on for second, with his stablemate Three Card Brag making good late headway back in third.

Willie Mullins said: "We had him out early, he likes nicer ground. It dried up nicely here during the week when it stopped raining.

"He's a front-runner but a real good jumper. Watching him throughout the race, turning for home when they were all gathering up behind him, I said at least Mark has a length and a half in the bag.

"He jumped the third last and second last brilliantly and missed the last and I thought it was over as Imagine was coming and staying on, and I would say Gordon's horses are probably a little fitter than mine at the moment. But I was delighted the way our fellow stuck his head out and battled away to the line. I think he will improve from that.

"He does (look like a chaser in the future), he could very possibly be an Arkle horse down the line. I'd say that's where we might go next season.

"He is (very exuberant in his work), you don't have to tell him to go anywhere - he does it all himself. Mark said he was delighted. At the top of the hill, he wasn't so sure that he could do that. He was actually surprised how much he pulled out. To me that shows that he has a lot more under the bonnet."

On pulling out Ferny Hollow: "It was a very easy decision to make.

"From last Thursday I arrived at the Sales in Cheltenham and a few people who live locally to here said it (ground) could be lively. I was supposed to be in France today, so I changed my flight instead of going on to Paris.

"Chatting to Paul Townend when he got up early and walked the track, and he said coming round the second last is not for this horse.

"They are two big units (Ferny Hollow and Flame Bearer) and it is early in the season. We are not going to take any chances."

Additional reporting by Michael Graham