Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle (Grade 1)

DESPITE Lulamba and East India Dock setting a lofty standard in the juvenile division in Britain, Gavin Cromwell might just have something to shake up the home team in the Triumph Hurdle after Hello Neighbour remained unbeaten in the Grade 1 Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle.

Sainte Lucie was sent off the 13/8 favourite to continue a winning start to the weekend for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend but gave herself no chance by racing with massive keenness and ended up trailing the eight-runner field.

While still racing with enthusiasm in the first-time hood, there was so much more to like about how Christmas Grade 2 winner Hello Neighbour went about his business under a typically confident Keith Donoghue.

Slicing through the field as the cream began to rise to the top approaching the final flight, the 85/40 winner was always keeping on well enough to hold a fast-finishing Galileo Dame for Joseph O’Brien and J.J. Slevin by three quarters of a length.

The Patrick Sheanon-owned scorer was as big as 8/1 for the JCB-owned Cheltenham target before this but is now only priced between 9/2 and 11/2.

Cromwell said: “He’s a proper horse. I’m just thrilled to win a Grade 1. I haven’t won a Grade 1 in Ireland for over four years [since Flooring Porter’s Christmas Hurdle success in 2020], that’s just the nature of how competitive it is here.

Still unbeaten

“We brought this horse along slowly and he’s answered every call; hopefully he’ll improve again. Fair play to Paddy [Sheanon] he was brave and put the money out, he’s getting rewarded.

“This horse was still a little bit keen in the hood, but I think he’s going to learn every day. He’s a straightforward horse. He just wants to get on with it; he’ll be fine. The more he does, the more he’ll improve.”

On the challenge of facing the British contingent in the juvenile division, Cromwell added: “You don’t know where you stand until they meet. They look very good, they are very smart, and we’ll know early in March.”

Remarkably, this was also the first Grade 1 winner for Donoghue since partnering The Storyteller to victory in the 2020 Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal, and his third career top-level success overall.

“This horse is still learning,” said the winning rider. “He did too much wrong here the last day and still did plenty wrong today as well, so hopefully he’ll learn from it and progress towards Cheltenham.”