Comfort Zone further highlighted Ireland’s dominance in the juvenile hurdle division when landing a telling blow in the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle.
Joseph O'Brien's youngster made a successful raid to British shores when taking the Finale Juvenile Hurdle over Christmas and added a second successive Grade Two prize when downing Milton Harris' Scriptwriter – who headed into the Cheltenham feature as one of the home team's best Triumph Hurdle hopes.
Scriptwriter looked to be travelling beautifully as Paddy Brennan charted a typically wide course round Prestbury Park, but the 2-1 favourite Comfort Zone was smuggled into contention by Jonjo O'Neill Jr and having jumped the last level pulled out more on the run to the line to prevail by half a length.
The winner was cut to 10-1 from 14-1 by Betfair for the Triumph Hurdle at the Festival, while he is 7-1 from 8s for the Boodles Fred Winter.
O'Neill said: "Scriptwriter is probably the best gauge-stick in England anyway, so I was happy with the performance.
"Scriptwriter was a non-runner on the day at Chepstow, so I suppose that performance was a bit better – you'd never have known. But I think the track probably suited him and maybe riding him like that was a bit more sensible."
Asked about plans, he replied: "Leave it to the trainer and connections, they know more than me and what else they have in the races and stuff.
"I think he definitely deserves his chance in whatever race. I wouldn't mind riding him, anyway. His hurdling was grand, a couple he got in a little bit short but I had him right down the inside and wanted to settle him, so I couldn't be looking for loads of light.
"The ground is quite dead and he might be better on better ground, but he handles soft at Chepstow, so I'd say he is pretty versatile."
Of Scriptwriter, Milton Harris: "It is just frustrating. Look, they are good horses. We just didn't get the rub of the green.
"It wasn't the ground. He just got to the front miles too soon. He is a horse who has come from Ballydoyle, where he has been a lead horse for Derby horses and he has been taught to lead horses, get headed, and that's him, so you have got to hit it late and he has just travelled too well into the race.
"I was not impressed with finishing second. He is a good horse and we'll be back and take on the winner.
"He just got there too soon. Paddy is spitting feathers as he got there too soon and is blaming himself. We should have hit the front in the last 50 yards and he would have won – he knows that."
He added: "We don't want to be poor losers, but it wouldn't bother me in the slightest taking on the winner again.
"We will come back to fight another day and take the winner on in March."
Syd Hosie's Rock My Way also stated his claims for the Festival when a taking winner of the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.
Second to Nigel Twiston-Davies' Weveallbeencaught on his rules debut over the track and trip on New Year's Day, he built on that performance to record a length and a half success in the hands of Tom Scudamore.
The 13-2 winner was shortened to 16-1 from 50-1 for both the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett – but Rock My Way's owner-trainer appears to be favouring a step up in trip which brings the latter of those two races into the equation.
"How good is Nigel Twiston-Davies' horse? We are going to find out as he is going to Ireland next week," said Hosie.
"I would be excited for that, actually. Tom (Scudamore) said maybe step him up in trip as he wanted a bit more of a lead and got to the front a bit early enough, actually and he had a look around.
"Last time, we didn't have a clue as we bought him out of a point-to-point field. This time, I thought if we could get him in the top three, I wouldn't look stupid making entries for the Ballymore and the Albert Bartlett, so I'm glad about that.
"We'll get him home and if all is safe and sound, we'll make a plan. We've had a Cheltenham Saturday hunter chase winner and to me that was the pinnacle, but today, this means a lot. It is nice to do it on a Saturday on Trials Day. I used to come to Trials Day with my mates and we'd be in the bottom bar, there."
