Cheltenham beckons for classy Flat recruit Evening World, whose debut victory over hurdles at Huntingdon today was the highlight of a 12½-1 treble for Tony McCoy.
Evening World, Group-placed on the Flat for Martin Pipe in 1999, was sent off at 8-13 for the Five Star Office Products Novices' Hurdle.
McCoy settled the five-year-old behind the leaders before taking up the running approaching the third last. Evening World had shaken off market rival Persian Waters turning for home and galloped on to score by six lengths.
The Capel Cure Sharp Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the opening race of the Festival meeting, would appear the most obvious Cheltenham target, although Craig Wylie, Pipe's travelling head lad said: "Knowing the boss he'll probably be entered in a few.
"He's jumped very well and the boss is delighted. He was 2st better than these on the Flat, so he was entitled to win as he did."
Evening World has been cut to 10-1 from 33-1 by Coral for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.
McCoy followed up on Ferdy Murphy's Ackzo, on whom he stood in for Adrian Maguire in the Ridgeons Millennium Novices' Chase and Philip Hobbs' Magic Dancer in the Beauville Properties Handicap Hurdle.
Hopes that Hollyhock would push Pipe past the £1 million mark in win and place prize money for the season were dashed when the top weight, McCoy's only other ride of the afternoon, could finish only seventh to Booty in the Tailored Vehicle Finances National Hunt Novices' Handicap Hurdle.
