Huge Benefficient surprise

Benefficient: Sprang huge 50-1 surprise in Grade One contest

Benefficient sprang a real surprise in the Grade One Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Tony Martin's charge was the complete outsider of the field but belied a starting price of 50-1 by making every post a winning one under an inspired Bryan Cooper.

He took three lengths out of the field between the final two flights and that was to prove crucial as 2-1 favourite Sous Les Cieux made relentless headway from the rear of the field.

However Ruby Walsh's partner was never going to land a telling blow and Benefficient stayed on strongly for a deserved length-and-a-quarter success.

Disappointments of the race were Cash And Go and Captain Conan, both folding tamely from the home turn.

Martin said: "Last time at Thurles (pulled up) was just one of those things. We put a line through it.

"From the day we got him we all thought he was a very good horse and he's proved it today.

"He's in everything at Cheltenham and I just hope he didn't leave it behind today. I don't think we did on the ground, so it will be something in Cheltenham.

"He's won on heavy, bottomless ground, but he's a good moving horse and he's still only a baby - a big raw six-year-old. Conditions were ideal today."

Paddy Power cut Benefficient to 16-1 from 40-1 and 50-1 respectively for the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, while Sky Bet and Stan James went 20-1 from 50s for that race.