Gerri Colombe was made to work to maintain his unbeaten record in the WT O'Grady Memorial Irish EBF Novice Hurdle at Thurles.

The Gordon Elliott-trained gelding was sent to post a 4/9 shot to follow up on his easy maiden hurdle win at Down Royal and also supplement two bumper wins and a point-to-point success.

Jack Kennedy tracked the leaders on the Robcour-owned hotpot, in the two-mile-seven contest, but he was sticky at a few of his hurdles.

The Saddler Maker gelding was pushed along after getting close three from home but was upsides jumping the penultimate flight with long time leader Churchstonewarrior and Idas Boy

It was the later who went with the eventual winner going to the final flight and Gerri Colombe had to dig deep to get on top on the run-in for a length-and-a-quarter win.

"He won in spite of the track and we were very worried about running him but there is a lack of races,” said Elliott.

"I didn't think he had enough experience to go for a Grade 1 (at the Dublin Racing Festival) and Clonmel could have been a real slog. Jack said it was safe but as good as he wanted it.

"Jack was happy and said he was doing what he needed to do and he was the same in his bumpers. He half-came off it with a circuit to go but with a slap down the shoulder he goes again. I thought it was a good performance.

"He'll go straight to Cheltenham, probably for the Albert Bartlett as he wants the maximum trip."

(Quotes by Tom Weekes)