Trainer Jack Jones enjoyed a first Cheltenham winner when his promising An Bradan Feasa powered up the hill to secure the opening JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle.
Jack Jones' runner finished an excellent second to Triumph Hurdle favourite Burdett Road on his stable debut at the same venue last month and the son of Camelot had little trouble going one better when switched to the new course this afternoon.
The 5/4 market leader travelled well throughout in the hands of Tom Bellamy and although there was to be late drama with Kourosh parting company with Harry Skelton at the last, it looked to be that An Bradan Feasa was getting the upper hand at the time.
Recent Chepstow scorer Balboa ran on well to fill the runner-up spot, but the Jack Jones-trained favourite was three lengths too strong at the line.
The Newmarket trainer said: "It is unreal. I've been coming here for as long as I can remember. To have a runner here a month ago was the stuff of dreams, and for him to do it like that I'm speechless. It is fantastic.
"It looked that way [that he was getting on top at the last]. He jumped and travelled to the front last time, but he is not a keen horse. He is very easy to ride.
"Tom schooled him on Sunday, and we thought we would give him the benefit of the doubt and let him have a lead and he gave him a peach (of a ride) to be fair.
"He jumped and travelled, and he was very push button when Tom wanted to give him an inch. I'm very happy. They have finished tired, and I would say the ground is a lot more gluey than it was here in November, but he has done it nicely.
"It was his first run for us here in November. It was a serious run considering he had to do most of the donkey work and that horse (Burdett Road) looks a fair animal. We were trying to go where that didn't.
"I'm not sure of the depth of the form, but he has got his win and for the owners to have a winner here is what they have dreamt of, and that is why they got him. I guess we can enjoy the rest of the season now."
Although An Bradan Feasa was trimmed into 33-1 from 40-1 by Betfair for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival an outing in the Boodles Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle is the preferred target at the same meeting according to Jones.
The 28-year-old added: "The Fred Winter is what we discussed two or three weeks ago. He would be 50-1 in a Triumph Hurdle, but although he will go up again today, he would have a competitive enough weight in the Fred Winter.
"He will have a quiet enough time now and he will have one more run before March and see where we end up. He is very easy to ride, and Tom said he is an absolute delight. It (the Fred Winter) wouldn't be any bother to him.
"He has sat third there today and you could let him sit mid-division to the rear in the Fred Winter and let him travel away."
