'I'm mad about him' - Russell excited with Triumph favourite Fil Dor

Sunday: Leopardstown

Davy Russell waxed lyrical about Fil Dor after the three-year-old cemented his position at the top of the JCB Triumph Hurdle market with a dominant display in the Grade 2 Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle.

Making it three from three over hurdles for Gordon Elliott, the professional youngster stretched clear in the closing stages to beat Lunar Display by seven lengths.

The runner-up was 3lb better off with the Andrew and Gemma Brown-owned winner than when beaten a length and a quarter at Fairyhouse a month earlier, but the margin of superiority was more definite this time.

Davy Russell on Fil Dor: 'He loves soft ground but showed last time he handles it a bit better so he's very versatile'Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Betfair Sportsbook cut Fil Dor to 3-1 (from 4s) for the premier four-year-old hurdles event at the Cheltenham Festival after Sunday's straightforward success.

"He's a lovely horse who we've always been mad about from day one," said Russell, who missed last year's Leopardstown Christmas festival through injury.

"He always impressed as a specimen but never really excited us in his work – he keeps it all for the racecourse."

Russell added: "He's like riding a point-to-pointer down to a hurdle, he's just so good to jump. He really enjoys it. He loves soft ground but showed last time he handles it a bit better, so he's very versatile. I'm just mad about him."

Fil Dor: clear favourite for the JCB Triumph HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Elliott has yet to decide whether Fil Dor will go straight to Cheltenham or take in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival on the way.

Russell paid tribute to Leopardstown's groundstaff for producing suitable conditions, with the track having come under fire due to some feeling the ground was too fast at some of the course's marquee meetings in recent years.

Russell said: "The ground is top class and I can only imagine the hours that they put in here. It's paid off in spades and we'll get all the nice horses here."

Willie Mullins thought the 45mm of rain since Saturday morning was crucial to achieving ground described as soft on the hurdle/bumper course and soft, yielding in places on the chase course.

"I think they needed every bit of rain and probably more," said the champion trainer. "That's what my jockeys are telling me. None are saying it's really soft. I think they were lucky to get the rain that came."

Lift-off for Sir Gerhard

Champion Bumper hero Sir Gerhard's Supreme Novices' Hurdle price was halved to 4-1 with BoyleSports after he made a seamless transition to hurdles in the 2m maiden.

A return to Leopardstown for the Grade 1 Chanelle Pharma Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival is likely for the exciting Cheveley Park-owned performer.

Sir Gerhard: made a highly pleasing hurdling debut at LeopardstownCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"He’s a very good jumper and I’m happy to see him coming out and doing that," said Mullins after the eight-length success.

"I'd like to climb the ladder if I could but he might just have to go in a Graded race next – maybe the Dublin Racing Festival or something like that. I think he’s up to it."

Facile Vega lives up to hype

After the exploits of Sir Gerhard and Ferny Hollow, Mullins brought up a Leopardstown treble as major talking horse Facile Vega, out of record-breaking Cheltenham queen Quevega, produced a highly promising success in the concluding bumper.

Already priced up at 8-1 with Paddy Power for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper before he had been seen in public, he was cut to 7-2 after a ready six-length victory under Patrick Mullins in the colours of the Hammer & Trowel Syndicate.

Facile Vega: Willie Mullins-trained youngster has a big futureCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

"He's always shown me he's decent," said Mullins, who suggested a return for the Dublin Racing Festival was a possibility.

"Patrick said that when he asked him he couldn't believe how he picked up again into another gear."

Flanagan's perfect comeback

Sean Flanagan's huge effort to return just six weeks after breaking his L1 vertebra was handsomely rewarded in the opening maiden hurdle as he struck on his first ride back on 12-1 chance Watch House Cross, trained by Henry de Bromhead.

Results, replays and analysis

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