Mengli Khan too good for Royal Bond rivals

Mengli Khan further enhanced his growing reputation with victory in the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

Formerly trained on the Flat by Hugo Palmer in Newmarket, the imposing four-year-old suffered defeat on his first two starts over hurdles for Gordon Elliott last season, but had raised his game this autumn to claim successive wins at Navan.

He was a heavily-backed even-money favourite to provide his trainer with his first success in this Grade One event and after travelling strongly into contention under Jack Kennedy, he hit the front jumping the second flight from the finish.

Early Doors did his best to make a race of it, but Mengli Khan was much too strong in the end, passing the post with five and a half lengths in hand. Early Doors was in turn a long way clear of the remainder.

Kennedy said: "In his last couple of races he wasn't really settling, but he's such a big horse with a long stride, he just needed a good gallop. We got it today and he's done it very well.

"He's such a big horse it's hard to believe he ran on the Flat as a two-year-old, but he seems to have it anyway. He's a top-class horse."

The winner is now 8/1 favourite with the sponsors for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Elliott said: "I was disappointed with him last year and said we'd keep him as a novice for this season. He could be a better horse on better ground and is a two-miler which we don't have too many of. Gigginstown buy big three-mile chasers, but it's nice to have a few of them as well.

"We will probably have a look at something over Christmas, but we'll get him home after today and make sure he's in one piece. He'll stick to two miles, and if everything stays right we have a few nice horses for each of the categories.

"He's a big horse and Hugo Palmer did some job to get him to the track as a two-year-old. With the ear plugs on today he nearly switched off too much, but he's a good horse and is learning all the time."