High Class Hero and Paul Townend negotiate the last© Photo Healy Racing
High Class Hero saw his price for the Ballymore at the Cheltenham Festival contract after making it two from two over flights when landing the Allman Contracts Novice Hurdle in Listowel.
This looked a more than decent two and a-half mile novice hurdle but High Class Hero was very strong at the business end.
A good jump two out saw him begin to extend away from his five rivals and he moved clear for Paul Townend at the last.
He bounded in by five and a-half lengths to reward plenty of support from 6/5 to 8/11f. Sequestered grabbed second at 33/1.
Willie Mullins said: “That was a nice performance. It looked like he’ll stay further and he handled the ground.
"He could be a nice prospect as a winter horse and he’ll go the two and a half mile or three-mile route over hurdles.
“Whatever he does over hurdles I’d expect him to be better over fences.”
Paddy Power cut High Class Hero from 33/1 to 20/1 for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
