Apple's Jade and Laurina can put it up to Buveur D'Air

Gigginstown House Stud’s policy has long been to find horses who will make the grade as top-class chasers. Hurdlers have never been a priority for the O’Leary brothers' powerful operation.

The famous maroon and white colours were carried to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup by War Of Attrition in 2006 and by Don Cossack ten years later. They have had runners in the Champion Hurdle but no winner. However, events at Leopardstown last weekend went some way to making the possibility of a first win in the race a strong one.

At the start of the season Samcro was being touted as Gigginstown’s big Champion Hurdle hope, but that idea backfired after a few below-par performances and instead Apple’s Jade has emerged as a genuine challenger to Buveur D'Air, who will bid to complete the hat-trick at Cheltenham next month.