Al Eile tracked leaders, went 2nd 8th, led 2 out, clear last, stayed on strongly

Osana led, headed 2 out, stayed on to regain 2nd soon after last, no chance with winner

Straw Bear held up, headway to track leaders 7th, hit 2 out, 5 lengths second last, kept on same pace

Kalderon in touch, ridden and outpaced approaching 3 out

Lounaos in rear, some headway 8th, outpaced and faded approaching next

My Way De Solzen chased leaders, ridden 8th, weakened approaching next

Afsoun held up, effort 6th, driven next, lost place after 8th

Lough Derg chased leader, driven along 6th, lost place after 8th, soon behind

Mephisto prominent, driven 7th, soon lost place, tailed off when pulled up before 3 out

A shade disappointing turnout for this Grade 1, which traditionally brings together an enticing mix of top 2m and 3m hurdlers. Behind dual winner Al Eile, Champion Hurdle runner-up Osana and dual Grade 1 winner Straw Bear, bit-part players made up the field.

It showed as AL EILE strode clear for his third win in the race, leaving him one shy of former Champion Hurdle winner Morley Street's record of four wins. This was every bit as impressive as his last two to leave his out-of-character defeat inthe 2006 running even more perplexing. The race was effectively over jumping two out and he was just pushed out in the last 150yds, value for more like double the winning distance. Connections are keen to bring him back next year for the four-timer, again concentrating on this race rather than any Cheltenham distraction (he had run fourth in the Champion before his one flop). He remains the one to beat if a similar field assembles. He was the only five-year-old to win this in the last 20 years so even though there are promising juvenile hurdlers around who might look at this next year, the portents are not good.

After some unsatisfactory runnings when there has been a false pace, this was the second successive year in which David Pipe-trained runners ensured a proper pace as Osana and Lough Derg jumped off ahead of Al Eile, who was always close to the pace and travelling easily. It is difficult to know what to make of Osana as he looked booked for third halfway up the straight but rallied past Straw Bear from the last without making any inroads on the winner. The stats were stacked against him as all 11 Champion Hurdle seconds to contest this have been beaten. As in the Champion Hurdle, he showed he is a resolute galloper and deserves a first Grade 1 win. There is plenty of stamina in his pedigree and possibly crucial to him is more cut in the ground.

The Irish have a good record in this race and both Kalderon and Lounaos ran decent races but looked just shy of Grade 1 standard. Kalderon, who hit the first hard, looked a shade uneasy on this ground, wanting to hang left, but he battled on bravely for an unlikely fourth without ever threatening to land a serious blow.

Lounaos travelled better and closer to the pace and was only left behind from the second-last as her stamina was stretched.

My Way De Solzen came under strong pressure to keep tabs on the principals into the home turn and was left behind which was disappointing after his good Fontwell run over this trip. It might be that his tough race in the World Hurdle had left a mark. He has become far from consistent which is a worry.

First-timeblinkers failed to work on Afsoun, who looked particularly well. He again dropped out as the race took shape towards the end of the back straight and only just plodded past the tired Lough Derg up the run-in in a different parish to the principals. He has plenty to prove.

Lough Derg, turning out two days after his tough race in the 3m Grade 1 on Thursday, was beaten before the home turn which is not his style. He failed to run his race. (BJ)

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