Guitar Pete puts in a sparkling display at Leopardstown

Guitar Pete is a general 10/1 shot for next month’s Triumph Hurdle after a Grade One winning performance at Leopardstown yesterday that was backed up by a sparkling race-time.

Dessie Hughes’s horse put more high-profile opponents, Ivan Grozny and Pinth, to the sword in the Gala Spring Juvenile Hurdle and did it in just over three minutes and 50 seconds, a time that Ivan Grozny’s trainer Willie Mullins described as “extraordinary” given the official “soft to heavy” ground.

Any suggestion that the race might have been short of the full two miles was discounted by clerk of the course, Lorcan Wyer, who said: “There’s no question it was bang on two miles and I would say the ground on the hurdles course is more soft than heavy.”

Guitar Pete had over two lengths in hand of the runner-up Tiger Roll while Plinth again finished ahead of the disappointing Ivan Grozny, the former Triumph favourite.

“He’s an exceptionally good jumper and that was a proper race,” said Dessie Hughes who supplied Our Conor to win last year’s Triumph.

“Our Conor has more speed but you couldn’t ask any more of this fella today.”