Turtle form delights Sheehy

Turtle Dubh has been given a clean bill of health after his impressive return to action at Punchestown on Sunday.

The five-year-old gelding eased to a cosy three-and-a-half-length success over Noel Meade’s highly-regarded Leading Run in a Listed event over two miles.

Connections believe he is now capable of holding his own at a higher level.

“He’s in super form,” explained handler Dusty Sheehy.

“He’s a real nice horse and we’re hoping he could make a top-grade novice hurdler.

“I thought it was a very good run for his first time over hurdles.

“He might run at Leopardstown over Christmas next (paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle on December 27).

“If not, he’ll have another run very early in January but we’re hoping to aim him at Cheltenham and I’d say he could be a Supreme Novices’ type of horse.

“We’ve never run him on a quicker surface so we won’t really know about that until we do.”

Turtle Dubh was introduced by William Hill and VC Bet at 25-1 and 20-1 respectively for the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices’ Hurdle next March.