The most prestigious three-mile novice hurdle of the season had as its star attraction one of the most exciting three-mile novices of recent years in runaway Cheltenham winner BLACK JACK KETCHUM. He was joined by the two horses who chased him home inthe Spa Hurdle as well as the Long Walk second and a couple of unexposed northerners for a fascinating renewal.

However, this Grade 1 contest was about just one horse, and what a horse. It is dangerous, and often foolhardy, to place young horses on a pedestal, but Black Jack Ketchum has easily established himself as among the best staying novice hurdlers of the modern era following this latest demolition job of high-class jumpers. Now seven from seven, he followed up his imperious Cheltenham Festival victory with an even more dazzling tour de force.

Basically on the bridle from start to finish, he travelled like a dream but without taking an excessive pull, coming across as a horse with a temperament as perfect as his talent. What was particularly impressive was the manner in which he came straight back on the bridle after landing awkwardly at the second-last flight and then the way in which he quickened right away once Tony McCoy asked him a question on the run-in.

Jonjo O'Neill, who saddled subsequent World Hurdle winner Iris's Gift to take this race in 2003, rates Black Jack Ketchum as the best horse he has trained, while McCoy, no mean judge of a horse, idolises him. And, having thumped into third a 148-rated horse - who seemed to run his race - he would appear to have delivered a performance that rating-wise has to be considered out of a very high drawer.

Connections will keep this relatively diminutive horse over hurdles and, while the seven-year-old possesses the pace to win a big raceover two and a half miles and possibly even two miles, the World Hurdle is the understandable long-term target. He is no bigger than 3-1 favourite with William Hill and as short as 2-1 with Coral for that, but it would be a brave bookmaker who laid him at much bigger odds. Black Jack Ketchum is, quite simply, an exceptional and untapped talent.

Money Trix ran a tremendous race on his first outing against the big boys, marking himself down as one of the most exciting novice chase prospects for 2006-07. He had won at a much lower level at Kelso and Ayr but showed he is indeed a proper prospect. He was asked to race a long way from home but he did not flinch and, although he hung right under pressure after the final flight - possibly through immaturity, as he had been unextended for his previous wins - he kept finding to grab second close home. He is with the right team to bring him to his peak over fences and his debut over fences will be eagerly awaited.

Powerstation had twice been run over by Black Jack Ketchum and that was the case again. It was surprising that he was asked to give the winner a start, and at no point did he threaten to land a blow, but he wasn't disgraced in fourth. He has had a busy season, and this was almost certainly not his true running, so he might not be one to get stuck into if he heads to Punchestown.

Ungaro always tries to come from the rear but that tactic was never going to be anything other than hard to make work in such a hot heat. His task wasnot helped when he was hampered by the eighth-flight fall of Travino, but he would not have done any better than he did, and this was probably a fair reflection of his ability.

Glasker Mill could not match his respectable effort in the Royal &SunAlliance Hurdle, but he is another chaser in the making. That also applies to Gungadu and Hard Act To Follow, who both found the strength of competition over hurdles beyond them.[LM]

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