< So Young impressed on a decent card at Punchestown as Willie Mullins' French import booked his Cheltenham ticket.

Despite the win over two miles in the Punchestown.com Festival Offers Novices' Hurdle, connections confirmed that he will be heading for the Neptune Novices' Hurdle over five furlongs further.

Paddy Power trimmed him into 8-1 from 10s behind 5-1 jolly Bobs Worth.

Mullins was absent, but winning owner Luke McMahon said: "Willie was in favour of coming here instead of taking on his Zaidpour in the Deloitte on Hennessy day as he says it's better to win two races than one!

"He showed today that he isn't slow, but we'll more than likely go for the Neptune Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham. He is very exciting and Paul (Townend) was impressed."

Enda Bolger's veteran Garde Champetre will also be heading to the Cotswolds after winning the Glenfarclas P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase for a second time.

He failed in his bid to win a third Cross Country at Cheltenham last season but he will be back next month, despite being hard ridden by Nina Carberry to land the odds at 1-4.

Frank Berry, owner JP McManus' racing manager, said: "Garde Champetre got the job done but wasn't as sharp as usual.

"He isn't getting younger but jumped adequately and while we'll see how he comes out of this, the Cross Country race at Cheltenham will be his next step."< Turner Brown (6-1) will be heading for the Martin Pipe after his win in the Visit Punchestown.com Handicap Hurdle.

Given a good ride by 7lb claimer Mattie Bowes for Michael O'Hare, he needed to win to guarantee a run.

"Turner Brown likes it around here and while I had been planning in sending him to run in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham, he needed to win today to get into that race."

Gordon Elliott's Roi Du Mee (9-4 favourite) was another to impress in the Follow Us On Facebook Novice Chase and the Grade Two Nas Na Riogh Novice Chase at Naas on February 20 will be his next race.