Jack Kennedy was seen at his best when delivering Millen To One with a perfectly timed challenge to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown.

The Francis Flood-trained gelding had been second in the same race last year and went one better this time.

He caught the eye travelling with ease down to the last flight in the two-and-a-half mile contest and was in front away from the last.

Kennedy kept his mount up to his work on the run-in to record a length-and-three-quarters win over Slige Dala

“It was a nice way for him to open his account. He's been running cracking good races everywhere he's been,” said Flood.

“We said today we'd wait for as long as we could. Maybe that was a help to him.

“He seems to have one bit of a run. There were days we weren't sure what way to go about trying to get that one run out of him.

“Today was better ground than we are getting anywhere else in the country and it was easier to drop him in and come with a challenge.

“Jack did a wonderful job. I told him beforehand if it didn't work he could blame me. You're not going to get many better than him.

“Jack said he'd get three ridden that way and we might look at some of the better three-mile handicap hurdles. It was all about today and trying to break his duck.

“I had hoped to win a hurdle in the spring last year and then go chasing this year but because of the Covid and everything that stopped us.

“Even before the end of this season he might be jumping fences.”