Sub dominates December heat

Sublimity will attempt to regain his Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham on top of his game after providing rookie trainer Robbie Hennessy with a first win in the Leopardstown Golf Centre December Festival Hurdle.

The hero of 2007 is now the general 10-1 second favourite behind Binocular for the Smurfit Kappa-sponsored contest on March 10 after his success under Philip Carberry.

Two other Champion Hurdle winners, Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace, cut out the running until the former weakened leaving the back stretch, from where a wall of four horses swung the final bend in unison.

Sizing Europe, the 15-8 favourite, again flattered to deceive and was the first to crack, with Sublimity striking the front heading to the final flight.

Surprise package Won In The Dark threw down a strong challenge on the run to the line but was always being held by the 3-1 winner and lost out by half a length, with the pair well clear of Brave Inca in third.

Hennessy said: “To have a first winner in a Grade One – it doesn’t get much better than that.

“People seemed to knock the Champion Hurdle he won but he has proved himself and he must go back to Cheltenham with a great chance.

“If the ground is good and he is good we’ll bring him back here for the Toshiba Champion Hurdle next month.”

Brave Inca continues to excel, despite his advancing years, and again made the frame at the top level on his second start back from injury.

Trainer Colm Murphy said of the 2006 Champion Hurdle hero: “We will stick to two miles for the time being and he’ll have an entry in the Champion Hurdle here next month.”

Sizing Europe was eased out to 16-1 from 8s for the Champion Hurdle by Coral.

His trainer Henry de Bromhead was puzzled by the six-year-old’s tame effort which resulted in a fifth-place finish.

Legendary punter JP McManus strengthened his Cheltenham Festival squad as top-class bumper prospect Sweeps Hill opened his account in the Kilternan INH Flat Race.

William Hill quote the 7-2 winner at 12-1 for the Weatherbys Champion Bumper, while Cashmans offer a generous 20-1.

Trainer John Kiely said: “He will have learned a lot and we’ll have to start thinking about Cheltenham.”

McManus was also on the mark in the Leopardstown Golf Academy Hurdle as Dancing Tornado (11-4) gunned down Willie Mullins’ Candy Girl to deny the Irish champion trainer a seventh win at the meeting.

Mullins was also in contention in the following Centra Central Park Beginners Chase, only for Deutschland to fall when leading over the final obstacle.

His nearest pursuer Askthemaster went the same way a fraction of a second later leaving the race wide open, with Arthur Moore’s 33-1 outside Back On The Road securing a neck verdict.

A trip to Cheltenham for the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle is on the agenda for Jessica Harrington’s Give It Time after her stylish success under Andrew Leigh.

Harrington said: “She will go to Cheltenham now as she stays two and a half miles well, and I doubt she will run before hand.”