Racing enthusiasts not already in the Un De Sceaux fan club are surely members now after the 'sixteens on' chance bolted up in the three runner Horse & Jockey Hotel Hurdle at Thurles.

It was more or less plain sailing throughout the two miles, the French bred in control from a long way out. The front-runner got the last wrong but still finished out the contest twenty nine lengths to the good from Rory O'Moore with thirty five lengths back to Our Ollie

Winning rider Ruby Walsh remarked: "He wears his heart on his sleeve and I'd suppose the softer the ground the better.

"As David Casey says, he can go very fast for very long."

Meanwhile successful trainer Willie Mullins reflected on Edward O'Connell's unbeaten five-year-old: "That didn't tell us anything we didn't already know. He has a fair engine and he'll go up in grade now.

"I was waiting to run him in this race all season rather than taking on Grade 1 horses. There was one other race for him in England three weeks ago but he wasn't ready enough for it.

"We'll go anywhere with him if we find the right race but I don't want to take on the Grade 1 horses yet. We'll find out more about him on his next run but he'll be entered for the Champion Hurdle before then.

"He's not a run away but he's very content being in front and the time for the race seemed fairly fast (3 minutes 55.5)." (TW & EM)