The J.P.McManus owned, Gavin Cromwell trained Espoir D’Allen made a winning hurdles debut at Punchestown today when landing the opening Coral.ie Best Price Guaranteed 3YO Hurdle under jockey Barry Geraghty.

The French bred son of Voix Du Nord, a winner of his only previous bumper start at Lignieres in France last April, made good headway to chase the leaders from the third last and in the end went clear of chief rival Masterstonemason on the run-in to score hard-held, by four and a quarter lengths.

Afterwards Cromwell, who supplied McManus with Grade 1 glory in the past with Jer’s Girl, later stated “he's a grand little horse. He's not that big but he jumps brilliant and he was fit and ready for today. Obviously the winners had their penalties and we had a little allowance but he's done it well.

"We'll take our time with him and I couldn't see him going to Down Royal (in early November).”

Smart prospect - Espoir D'Allen is a commanding winner of our opener at @punchestownrace for @BarryJGeraghty and @gavincromwell1: pic.twitter.com/i8gCdt4gi3

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 18, 2017

Quotes from Alan Magee