Three Card Brag and Adrian Heskin pictured on their way to victory© Photo Healy Racing
Three Card Brag enhanced his Cheltenham credentials, as he made all in the Easter Festival 8 - 10 April Novice Hurdle.
Beaten a neck into second in Grade 2 company at Naas last month, the Gordon Elliott trained six-year-old was expected to go a place better this afternoon and was sent off the 8/11 favourite.
Sent straight to the front by Adrian Heskin, the Jet Away gelding was challenged by market rival Spanish Harlem on the approach to two out, but he pulled out plenty when ridden and stretched clear on the run-in, coming home 12 lengths to the good.
Returned at evens, Spanish Harlem had to settle for second under Danny Mullins, while Time To Rocco was a further 31 lengths away in third.
"Adrian said going out that he'd probably make it on him because he wants further down the line," Ian Amond, Elliott's assistant, said.
"He's a nice horse and he stays at it well. It probably wasn't ideal having to do it because he's lazy but he said he picked up and the further he went the better he was.
"He's a laid back lad and he said he will be better over a trip with a lead but today it was the right thing to do - to jump out, make it on him and keep it simple. It worked out well."
The winner is now 6/1 (from 7s) with Paddy Power for the Martin Pipe Conditional Riders Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, while is now 10/1 (from 12s) for the Albert Bartlett.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
