Galmoy Hurdle: 'He's a different horse now' - Teahupoo storms to top of Stayers' market

The question before the Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle was could Teahupoo develop into a Stayers' Hurdle contender? The answer was a performance so emphatic he is now favourite, with sponsors Paddy Power cutting him to 11-4 favourite (from 7-1) for Thursday's feature race at the festival.

Davy Russell always looked to be travelling menacingly in fifth on the winner throughout the contest and picked off his rivals one by one coming to the fourth-last. He then took it up before two out and sprinted away in impressive fashion, confirming matters with a soaring leap at the last as he put 15 lengths between himself and former Supreme winner Summerville Boy.

The six-year-old has been in fine form this year and looked to relish the step up in trip. He's now the one to beat in an open Stayers' division on the back of this impressive effort and will go straight there according to trainer Gordon Elliott.

He said: “He’s going the right way and will go straight to Cheltenham. It was two miles last year at Cheltenham and he looks a different horse now. Three miles seems to suit him well.”

Teahupoo: has now won eight of his 11 starts over hurdlesCredit: Patrick McCann

Teahupoo was giving away 9lb to the field here courtesy of his Grade 1 success in the Hatton’s Grace back in December. His best performances in his career so far seems to have come on soft ground, but Elliott feels it was the trip rather than the ground that was the cause of some below-par efforts last season, including when finishing last of ten in the Champion Hurdle.

He said: “I’m not too worried about the ground. I don’t think drier ground over three miles would be a problem for him. The Stayers' is an open race too. He’s a very laid back horse and the best part is how he galloped from the second-last to the line.”

Summerville Boy, who was keen early on in Rachael Blackmore’s hands, was 15 lengths adrift in second on only his second start for trainer Henry de Bromhead.

De Bromhead said: “We are delighted with him and he ran really well. It was great to see him do that. We’ll get him home now and make a plan – he has a few options.”

The Declan Queally-trained My Design took them along at an even gallop throughout and ran an admirable race finishing 11 lengths further back in third given she was up against it with her rating of 123. Jockey Kieran Buckley was suitably impressed with the eight-year-old.

He said: “We are absolutely delighted with that. She is a real game mare but possibly didn’t quite see out the trip. It was a very evenly run race on proper soft ground and she’s beaten horses like Beacon Edge and Longhouse Poet. She’s beaten some decent horses so we're really happy.”

The field were well strung out at the finish with Noel Meade’s Beacon Edge finishing fourth and Early Doors trailing in a remote fifth. Last year’s Thyestes hero Longhouse Poet was prominent throughout but seemed to not run his race as he faded tamely after three out to finish a well-beaten last.

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