O'Brien opens Festival account with Band Of Outlaws

Band Of Outlaws provided Joseph O'Brien with his first official winner at the Cheltenham Festival when justifying strong support under JJ Slevin in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.

O'Brien has made a blistering start to his training career winning the Melbourne Cup and Irish Derby among a list of big race successes under both codes, and was widely credited with preparing Ivanovich Gorbatov to land the JCB Triumph Hurdle in 2016 just before taking out a licence in his own right.

The son of Fast Company, sporting the colours of Justin Carthy, was available at 13/2 earlier in the day but went off the 7/2 favourite after sustained support.

Slevin, who partnered Champagne Classic to win the Martin Pipe two year's ago, rode a patient race and, after switching right to get a clear run before the last, sent the well-backed favourite to the front early on the run-in.

He quickened up nicely and had a comfortable two lengths to spare at the line over the Gordon Elliott-trained Coko Beach Ciel De Neige made it an Irish 1-2-3 with King D'Argent completing the places in fourth.

O'Brien said: "I'm delighted. J J gave him a fantastic ride. I'm over the moon. It's my first Cheltenham winner, which is great. We had a couple of horses run well - two seconds and a fourth and a fifth - so it's nice to get a winner.

"This is Cheltenham and it's special to have any winner here. He was working well at home and I'm delighted it's worked out."