IRELAND’S senior National Hunt handicapper has hailed the performances of Final Demand and Kopek Des Bordes at Leopardstown last weekend as “top drawer” and confirmed that both novice hurdlers have achieved enough on paper to win their respective races at Cheltenham under normal circumstances.

Last Saturday Final Demand won the Grade 1 novice hurdle over two miles and six furlongs by 12 lengths and is being aimed at the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Kopek Des Bordes won the two-mile Grade 1 novice hurdle by 13 lengths and his Cheltenham target is the Supreme Novices’.

Both horses are trained by Willie Mullins and neither were fully extended to win at Leopardstown.

Mark Bird, who succeeded Andrew Shaw as senior NH handicapper in December, said: “We rated Kopek Des Bordes at 157 following last weekend, which is by some way the best figure posted in the division so far this season. He is being aimed at the Supreme and that figure would have been good enough to win three out of every four Supremes since the beginning of the century.

“For context, it is the same figure that Ballyburn headed into the Cheltenham Festival with last year as a novice after winning the same race and is 2lb ahead of the rating held at the same stage of his career by Douvan, the highest rated Irish-trained winner of that race.

“Final Demand has been given an initial rating of 152 here following his win on Saturday. That is the highest figure achieved in that Leopardstown race since it was upped to two miles and six furlongs and upgraded to Grade 1 status in 2018.

“It is also the average figure needed this century to win the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, which may be his next intended target. Overall, two performances out of the very top drawer.”

According to the handicap ratings, Kopek Des Bordes is still 11lb behind State Man and 18lb off Constitution Hill.

“There would only be seven hurdlers rated higher than Kopek Des Bordes in the country at this stage in the senior division. Leading the way at the moment are State Man (168) and the mares Brighterdaysahead (163) and Lossiemouth (160), who would each receive a 7lb allowance against the males, making them effectively 170 and 167 respectively.

“State Man’s rating was unchanged after last weekend’s inconclusive outing and means he is rated 7lb behind the overall divisional leader Constitution Hill, who is on 175.”

In the chasing division, Galopin Des Champs remains a clear leader on 177 “although he only needed to run to a rating of 167+ in winning his third Irish Gold Cup”, reported Bird.

Three other Grade 1 chase winners at the Dublin Racing Festival also posted ratings of 160 or more.

“Solness moved to 161 following his second Grade 1 victory, while the novices Majborough and Ballyburn also posted outstanding efforts – the former achieving a rating of 162 – the same figure posted by El Fabiolo in the same race two years ago, to set up a mouth-watering clash with Sir Gino (164) in the Arkle. Ballyburn’s figure of 160 would have seen him run fifth in the Irish Gold Cup, for context.”