Cheltenham ReportTrainer Noel Meade was delighted with Harchibald's dominant display in Saturday's totesport Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Completing a big-race double for the stable which claimed the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup on the same card with outsider Sir OJ, Harchibald did absolutely nothing wrong as he led on the run-in to beat Intersky Falcon by a length and three-quarters.

Meade watched the race from Navan, from where he commented: "That was great after all of the stick he has got. I had a long chat with Paul going over the race and I also asked Tommy (Paul's father) to talk to him to make sure he had plenty of confidence going into the race.

"He is an exceptional horse the way he can arrive there so easily as he doesn't show that much at home. It is a long run from the second-last to the last at Cheltenham, which didn't really suit him as he jumps so well.

"The race didn't work out as we expected but we were happy to win." As to future plans, Meade continued: "Sandown is not ideal and I would love to run at Leopardstown, but it all depends on the ground. Sandown is different to Kempton (where he won last Christmas) in that it can get very tacky and gluey there.

"If all goes well from there I would also hope to run in the AIG Champion Hurdle before Cheltenham."

Carberry added: "It was good for him to get a win here and he didn't do anything wrong when he got to the front. I still got there soon but we'll get it right one day!" Paddy Power have the horse at 11 to 4 to be crowned Champion Hurdler.