In any event, Warne appeared to have the race in safe-keeping as the 2-1 favourite was being furiously ridden by Walsh - in stark contrast to the motionless Andrew McNamara.

O'Grady's representative, himself a faller on his last start at Listowel, then easily accounted for Premier Victory by 17 lengths.

O'Grady said: "I was hoping that he might justify the confidence we had in him going to Listowel and he is obviously much improved.

"How far he'll go, I don't know.

"The fall last time helped him to have more respect for his hurdles."

Jumbo Rio was made to work quite hard to land the odds in the Oakbruce Properties Hurdle.

O'Grady's Grade One winner jumped smoothly from the outset before gaining a narrow lead at the second-last.

The 4-7 favourite found Spanish Auriga a worthy foe, however, and needed to be kept up to his work by McNamara to produce the goods by one and a half lengths.

Jumbo Rio was subsequently given a 33-1 quote by William Hill for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival next March.