There were more questions posed than answers provided after the outcome of the Bonusprint Bula Hurdle won by 14 to 1 outsider Geos at Cheltenham on Saturday. Those looking for clues to the identity of the horse who might find a chink in the armour of three-time Smurfit Champion Hurdle winner Istabraq, when he defends his title in March, left Prestbury Park with very little positive information to work on.

Most of those who plunged on 13 to 8 favourite Youlneverwalkalone were particularly puzzled after the Christy Roche-trained five-year-old ended his participation in the two-mile-one-furlong event when jockey Conor O'Dwyer called it a day before the final flight.

There was no one more mystified than the gelding's owner JP McManus who, at least, has the consolation of knowing, all being well, Istabraq will be the one carrying his famous green and orange colours come the big day.

"It's a bit of a mystery as he never seemed to be going at all," said McManus. "Conor came back and said he was never travelling. You can't say the race came too quick after last week as he couldn't be beaten that far."

Then there was last year's Champion Hurdle runner-up Hors La Loi III, who, having drifted in the market, finished proceedings at around the same time as Youlneverwalkalone.

His jockey Andrew Thornton explained: "He's run too bad to be true. I'm beaten too far out for it to be his true running.

"If he'd finished third or fourth you'd just say he wasn't good enough but he was beaten down the far side."

Of those prominent in the betting only the Tim Easterby-trained Barton ran anywhere near his true form when finishing a six-length second after getting his second wind up the final hill.

"He needed the race," said owner Stanley Clarke. "We didn't really want to bring him here but where else could we have gone? We are pleased with that."

It was a bemused Nicky Henderson who greeted his charge Geos in the winner's enclosure. "That's put the cat among the pigeons hasn't it?" he smiled.

"All we were trying to do was to have a look and see where he belongs among these hurdlers. He's answered that question hasn't he?"

Henderson has the Pertemps Christmas Hurdle lined up as the next target for the five-year-old, who was cut from 40 to 1 to 12 to 1 for the Champion Hurdle.