Andy Dufresne another exciting novice for Elliott

Apple’s Jade may have been turned over at 1/4 fav in the Lismullen Hurdle, but Gordon Elliott has loads of novice hurdling talent under his care and Andy Dufresne (9/10 fav) was another youngster to excite when winning by eleven lengths in the P.S. Supplies Doors & Floors Maiden Hurdle.

He was always prominent, jumped well and went clear from the second last flight of hurdles to defeat Cobbler’s Way (9/2), with Alpine Cobra (25/1) a further five and a half lengths away.

The winner, by Doyen, has been brought along steadily and has now impressed in his point-to-point, bumper and initial start over hurdles.

Paddy Power make him 10/1 (from 20s) for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, and 16/1 (from 33s) for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

“He's a nice horse. He did everything right and Mark said he showed loads of pace. He said you could even bring him back to two miles,” said winning trainer Gordon Elliott.

“He's in the Royal Bond, obviously I have to talk to Frank (Berry) and all the lads.

“We thought a lot of him last year, we minded him. He's still not the finished article, he's still a big weak horse.

“Mark said he showed an awful lot of pace and thought he was actually going too slow the whole way, thought he was hacking.

“I stepped him out to two-and-a-half because I thought at home he was just a bit lackadaisical, a bit sleepy. That was good and we're very happy.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson