WITHOUT even running, Blazing Khal has been subject of much speculation for much of the season but in the Grade 2 William Hill Boyne Hurdle at Navan on Sunday, the seven-year-old affirmed what a talented horse he is on an excellent day for the Byrnes family.

The son of Kalanisi hadn’t been seen since December ‘21 when he easily dispatched of subsequent Grade 1 scorer Gelino Bello in a three-mile Grade 2 novice hurdle at Cheltenham. Impressive as that was, he was still only rated 147 and was reappearing here off a 428-day break so the task at hand was brisk.