Minella shows his capabilities with dominant performance

Noel Meade might be gutted that the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle isn't a couple of weeks away, or indeed that the feature novice hurdle here wasn't run three weeks ago, as Minella Fair could hardly have run a better trial for the Cheltenham contest.

The Patricia Hunt-owned winner had four pretty decent-looking rivals to contend with, but they were all obliterated as he put up one of the more effective displays of jumping, galloping and grinding it out from the front that has been seen all season.

Second favourite Force Of Forces was within three lengths of him before the straight but, by the time they reached the line, he was so tired that the distance between them was more than 63 lengths, and he had been passed for second close home by High Sparrow.