Good To Soft

3:15 totesport Bula Hurdle (Class A) Grade 2 (4yo+)

[off 3:17] £42,765.00, £16,042.50, £8,032.50, £4,005.00, £2,010.00, £1,005.00 8 hdles 2m1f

Comments In Running OR TS RPR

1 Harchibald (FR) Noel Meade 6 11-8 P Carberry 10/11F 168 171+

2 1¾ Intersky Falcon Jonjo O´Neill 8 11-0 tb A P McCoy 14/1 160 158 159

3 5 Faasel (IRE) N G Richards 4 11-4 v A Dobbin 9/2 145 157 160+

4 11 Penzance A King 4 11-4 R Thornton 12/1 145 144 147

5 7 Royal Shakespeare (FR) S Gollings 6 11-4 T Scudamore 10/1 153 137 140

6 6 Phar Bleu (FR) P F Nicholls 4 11-4 t M A Fitzgerald 20/1 138 130 137+

7 15 Sporazene (IRE) P F Nicholls 6 11-0 Christian Williams 11/1 154 108 119+

UR Akilak (IRE) J Howard Johnson 4 11-4 G Lee 12/1 — 145+

PU Westender (FR) M C Pipe 9 11-4 b T J Murphy 25/1 157 — —

9 ran TIME 4m 0.70s (slow by 3.70s) TOTAL SP 118%

1st OWNER: D P Sharkey BRED: S N C Ecurie Bouchard Jean-Lo TRAINER: Noel Meade

2nd OWNER: Interskyracing.com & Mrs Jonjo O'Neill

3rd OWNER: Jim Ennis

TOTE TRIFECTA Pool £2,029.79. 16 winning units. WIN £1.90 PL £1.20, £3.90, £1.60; Ex £26.40; CSF £16.53Pool £2,029.79. 16 winning units.

ANALYSIS: The outcome of this Grade 2 hurdle hinged on what mood the enigmatic HARCHIBALD was in after his luckless defeat in Ireland and the answer was a good one. He once again encountered trouble in running going to the last when forced to switch but, if anything, it galvanised him this time as he showed just how good he can be.

He cruised to the front and only had to be shaken up on the run to the line. The victory helped to erase the memories of last season's Champion Hurdle, where the waiting tactics did not work. This is a horse of immense ability and, on this evidence, the hurdlers' crown could go his way next March.

Intersky Falcon made sure it was a truly run affair but was easily brushed aside and, although he appears to be a shade off champion class, he is useful on his day and will be winning again.

Faasel seems better suited to flat tracks and there is more than a sneaking suspicion that he does not get home up the hill in this grade. If connections sent him novice chasing, however, he would immediately jump into the Arkle picture with his allowance.

Penzance, last year's Triumph Hurdle hero where he beat Faasel and Akilak, is also finding things tough against the older horses.

Royal Shakespeare would have preferred better ground but ran his race in the circumstances.