TEAHUPOO DENIED THE  late charge of Ballyburn to win his third BAR 1 Betting Hatton’s Grace Hurdle by the narrowest of margins.

Gordon Elliott’s Teahupoo claimed this Grade One prize in 2022 and 2023 and while Lossiemouth denied him the hat-trick last season, 12 months on he had another chance to join Limestone Lad, Solerina, Apple’s Jade and Honeysuckle as a three-time winner under Jack Kennedy.

It was far from straightforward for the even-money favourite, who had to work hard to get on terms with his stablemate Casheldale Lad in the home straight, but appeared to have his measure when the latter crashed out at the final flight.

The race was far from over, however, with the Willie Mullins-trained Ballyburn – reverting to hurdles following a disappointing end to his novice chasing campaign last term – powering home after a patient ride from Paul Townend to set up a grandstand finish.

Ballyburn was making up ground hand over fist as the line loomed, but the post came just in time for Teahupoo to cling on by a nose.

“Jordan (Gainford, riding Casheldale Lad) did a wonderful job in front, he got the fractions just right. Jack said he couldn’t have gone another gear faster,” said Elliott.

“When you take a horse out of their comfort zone early in those type of races it’s very hard and we knew we were rolling the dice coming back to two and a half miles, but it just looked like the perfect starting point for him.

“He’s not a two-and-a-half miler, he’s a three-mile horse – he’s slow and he’s not getting any younger, but he’s got the heart of a lion.

“He’s a warrior of a horse and we’re so lucky to have him. ”

Elliott is meanwhile keeping his options open for Romeo Coolio following his demolition job in the BAR 1 Betting Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse.

A Grade One winner over hurdles at last season’s Dublin Racing Festival, the six-year-old was also placed in top-level events at Cheltenham and Aintree in the spring and made the perfect start to his chasing career at Down Royal in late October.

Running over the same two-and-a-half-mile trip, Romeo Coolio was an 8-15 favourite to bag another Grade One win on his second start over fences and odds-on backers will have had few concerns, with Jack Kennedy cutting a confident figure in the saddle throughout.

His mount travelled and jumped fluently throughout on his way to an emphatic eight-length victory over Gold Dancer.

With no two-and-a-half mile Grade One option at the Cheltenham Festival these days for novice chasers, Romeo Coolio will either have to step up in trip for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase over three miles or revert to two for the Arkle, for which he was cut to 5-1 from 8-1 by Coral.

Meanwhile, hot favourite Koktail Brut got the better of a nip-and-tuck battle with Blake to win a thrilling renewal of the Bar 1 Betting Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.

Having kept good company in bumpers last season, Koktail Brut made a successful start to his career over hurdles at Punchestown two and a half weeks ago and he was an 8-13 favourite to follow up in a Grade Two that has been won by the likes of Istabraq (1996), Moscow Flyer (1999), Hurricane Fly (2008) and Envoi Allen (2019).

Sent straight to the lead by Jack Kennedy, Elliott’s Koktail Brut had most of his rival in trouble from the home turn, but the Noel Meade-trained Blake stuck with him and looked to be travelling the better of the pair between the final two flights.

The pair settled down to fight it out after the last and there was little to choose between them passing the post, but the judge confirmed Koktail Brut the winner by a head, with Gavin Cromwell’s The Passing Wife making late gains to finish third.