Top 40 winner Quai De Bourbon one for the future

Third on his chasing debut at Leopardstown over Christmas, Quai De Bourbon improved on that effort to win the beginners chase at Gowran Park on Thursday. Willie Mullins fielded five runners in the two and a half miles event and it was Paul Townend's mount who emerged victorious. The ex-French gelding jumped well and responded to pressure when asked before the third last. Pushed out to beat stablemate Chapeau De Soleil by half a length, it was seven lengths back to the third. The Ivanhowe gelding has yet to race beyond two miles five and is crying out for further, plus plenty of cut in the ground brings out the best in him.

Melon (4/1) was highlighted as a juvenile hurdler to follow in the November Update and the Olly Greenall and Josh Guerriero trained youngster made it two wins from three starts over timber at Wetherby. Rated 71 on the Flat, he only finished sixth in the Grade 2 Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow over Christmas - probably wasn't ready for such an assignment so early in his career. However, he returned to winning ways with a length and three quarters victory at the West Yorkshire venue. Open to more improvement, the Adlerflug gelding has only raced seven times under both codes and could develop into a Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle contender at Cheltenham in March depending on his opening mark.