Power-packed performance from Hurricane leaves him bound for the Troytown

A name to be reckoned with over the coming weeks could well be that of Barry Connell's Hurricane Darwin, who took full advantage of a lenient-looking mark over hurdles on his first try over three miles to easily land the feature handicap hurdle at an unseasonably mild Clonmel.

The immediate plan is to go back over fences to contest the Troytown Chase at Navan later this month, and the manner of this performance leaves little doubt that a big-field handicap chase at a fast pace could well be what he requires.

This race was initially notable for the trailblazing tactics employed by normal front-runner Rory O'Moore, tactics that were even more extreme than they often are on a horse who once put Don Cossack to the pin of his collar in a winners' bumper.