The Reverend booked for Dublin Racing Festival date

The Reverend is bound for the Dublin Racing Festival after a winning hurdles debut having switched from the Flat.

The five-year-old enjoyed a successful career on the level when based with William Haggas for owners Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy, after which he left for Ireland and joined Willie Mullins.

He made his hurdling bow at Cork last week and was a four-and-three-quarter-length winner under Paul Townend, starting the 4-11 favourite over two miles and a furlong.

The win brings the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown into the picture, with the gelding also currently a 25-1 shot for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival later in the season.

“He’d jumped very well coming into Christmas when he’d been schooling but he’d been quite free, so we were worried he might pull too hard in the race but Paul Townend said he settled beautifully,” said Sean Graham, racing manager to Bloom.

“It was a race that was, on paper, very winnable, but he did what was required of him.

“He jumped around and he seemed to enjoy it as well, Paul said he was always looking for the next hurdle which is a good sign.

“We’re very happy with him, his next race looks like it will be a two-mile novice at the Dublin Racing Festival – that’s where we’re aiming now.”

The Reverend has Flat form with Poniros, owned also by Bloom and McAleavy and trained by Mullins to win the Triumph Hurdle on his jumping debut at the Festival last term.

He is set to remain a dual-purpose campaigner and has two options for his return to action under the National Hunt code this season.

“Poniros is going to run either in the International at Cheltenham or the Irish Champion Hurdle the following weekend,” Graham added.

“One of those two races will be his reappearance, based on how he runs we can decide what race – if any – to target at the Cheltenham Festival.

“If he doesn’t run up to his weight we may just go back to the Flat with him because he is rated 91 on the Flat, but there’ll be no decision made until he goes either to Cheltenham or Leopardstown.”