Peace And Co keeps up unbeaten run to take Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham

Peace And Co preserved his unbeaten record with an accomplished success in the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham.

The 4-9 favourite came from off a crawling pace to readily account for Karezak by three lengths.

In doing so, Peace And Co consolidated his position as ante-post favourite for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Trainer Nicky Henderson said: "We had to try to get him to settle, but that was a fair mess of a race, they went no gallop at all.

“It would have done him good as it’s the first time he’s had any horses in front of him.

“You wouldn’t run him again (before the Cheltenham Festival). He’ll go straight there now.”

Ibis Du Rheu and Zarib jousted for the lead for most of the race, but the pace was unsatisfactory from the outset.

Peace And Co was desperate to get on with it under Barry Geraghty, but last month's facile Doncaster winner was only given the freedom to express himself up the home straight.

A crisp leap at the last gave Geraghty’s partner a narrow advantage and while Karezak again showed plenty of resolution, he was comprehensively beaten.

Saphir Du Rheu evoked memories of the great Big Buck's with victory in the Cleeve Hurdle.

Winner of this Grade Two in 2009 and 2012, Big Buck’s, like Saphir Du Rheu, was owned by Andy Stewart and trained by Paul Nicholls.

The similarities do not end there, though, as Saphir Du Rheu was reverting to hurdles after he fell over fences – just as the great staying hurdler had done before he embarked upon a breathless winning run.

It was an inspired decision as the 3-1 chance, capably piloted by Sam Twiston-Davies, overpowered the brave Reve De Sivola by a neck in a pulsating finish.

Un Temps Pour Tout, the 7-4 favourite, was disappointing, while Cole Harden did himself no favours by continually jumping to his left.

Twiston-Davies said: “You can never discount a Paul Nicholls horse. If he runs in the World Hurdle, there will be a good reason why.”

Nicholls said: “I think as he’s got a bit older, he wants better ground so the spring ground should suit him.

“That will have done him the world of good as it’s been a bit stop-start with him this season.

“I will talk to Andy (Stewart) but I think we will stay over hurdles with him this year now.

“I see him very much as a chaser, to be honest, but we can go back over fences any time and I’d say after that, it won’t be this season.

“It looks a very open World Hurdle this year and I will see what Andy wants to do and where he would like to go.”

Paul Duffy, owner of Reve De Sivola, said: “He didn’t miss a beat. That was the best he’s ever jumped.

“We want soft ground but I suppose it’s difficult not to come back for the World Hurdle. He’s such an honest horse.”

Ordo Ab Chao won a war of attrition in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.

Six horses held a live chance approaching the final flight, with Vago Collonges the first to state his intentions.

The six-year-old was, however, a little scruffy over the obstacle, which gave the initiative to the Alan King-trained Ordo Ab Chao (16-1).

Runner-up Value At Risk fought back when seemingly beaten to close the deficit to three-quarters of a length at the line as the 11-10 favourite.

King said: “He won his first two novices impressively then he bombed out at Sandown, he was travelling great to two out then stopped dead.

“We couldn’t put our finger on what went wrong that day, but he’s come back and did a serious gallop last week. That told us he was back to his best.

“I always thought he was one of our best novices.

“He’ll have entries in both the two-mile-five and three-mile novice races at the Festival.”