ONE of the most interesting aspects of any new National Hunt season is the observation of how last year’s juveniles fare when they take on their elders.

“Difficult for last year’s juveniles” is the perceived wisdom, and that is backed up by the fact that Katchit remains the only five-year-old to win the Champion Hurdle since See You Then won the first of his three in 1985.

Last year’s outstanding juveniles were Ivanovich Gorbatov and Apple’s Jade, who between them won the Grade 1 championship juvenile hurdles at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown festivals.

But both horses were beaten last weekend on their respective seasonal debuts. Apple’s Jade was beaten by Rashaan in the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle at Down Royal, while Ivanovich Gorbatov could only finish third behind De Plotting Shed and Jett at Naas on Sunday.

Both horses performed well below their best last weekend. Perhaps it might just take a little while for them to recover from busy and tough springs, and hopefully they can ease their respective ways into the season now.

By contrast, Sceau Royal has been impressing.

He was impressive in winning at Cheltenham’s October meeting on his seasonal debut – easily beating Leoncavallo, who could be a big player in tomorrow’s Greatwood Hurdle – and he stepped forward from that to win the Grade 2 Elite Hurdle at Wincanton last Saturday.

He had the measure of Zubayr when his fellow four-year-old fell at the final flight, and he clocked a good time.

Sceau Royal was disappointing in the Triumph Hurdle last March, but all three of Alan King’s horses were disappointing in the Triumph Hurdle last March.

Perhaps the fact that the Doctor Dino gelding was spared hard races in the championship races in the spring will stand to him as he moves through his sophomore year.