Sir Gerhard got his hurdling career off to a successful start when justifying odds-on favouritism with a decisive victory in the Thorntons Recycling Maiden Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Paul Townend and Willie Mullins suffered an odds-on reverse just over half-an-hour earlier in the other maiden hurdle on the card with the well-touted State Man but the pair made no mistake here.

The Cheltenham Bumper winner made all in this two-mile event and the 2/9 favourite asserted from before the last to beat Highland Charge by eight lengths. Ash Tree Meadow kept on one paced a further half-a-length back in third.

Mullins said, “He’s a very good jumper and I’m happy to see him coming out and doing that.

“I’d like to climb the ladder if I could but he might just have to go into a Graded race next — maybe the Dublin Racing Festival or something like that but I think he’s up to it.”

Paddy Power and Betfair both cut Sir Gerhard into 9/2 (from 8/1) for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, while BoyleSports go 4/1 (from 8/1).