Leopardstown Report:If it's better to be born lucky than rich, then Schindlers Hunt's victory in yesterday's big race at Leopardstown proves that good fortune feels even better when it's spread about a bit.

Lar Byrne might have expected that his stock of luck had been squeezed dry due to the phenomenal success of the double Champion Hurdler Hardy Eustace, but the Tullow owner appears to have extended a magic touch to the rest of his family who now look to have a genuine Cheltenham prospect on their hands.

Schindlers Hunt carried the red-and-white colours of the nine-member Slaneyville Syndicate, all brothers and sisters of Byrne, to a dramatic, 10-length victory in the Grade One Durkan New Homes Novice Chase that resulted in some riotously happy scenes in the winners' enclosure.

Certainly if winning the €100,000 St Stephen's Day pot produced quiet satisfaction in Roger Loughran, whose error on Central House in last year's Christmas festival resulted in huge embarrassment for the jockey, then the owners of Schindlers Hunt more than turned up the volume button.

It was understandable, too, as the six-year-old went one better than in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse earlier this month to notch a Grade One victory that had the bookmakers in slash mode for Cheltenham.

Prices of 16 to 1 were generally available for the Arkle at the festival, although Boylesports went even further and made Schindlers Hunt as low as 8 to 1.

The good news for all concerned is that Dessie Hughes is thinking along the same lines.

"He's a horse who got two miles and five furlongs and in time will probably get three miles. But he also has a great cruising speed, so we'll stay at two miles for this season. We'll be back here for the Irish Arkle first," said the Curragh trainer, who made no secret of his regard for the horse.

"He's got speed and he stays. He's what you want, a beautiful horse."

Like Hardy Eustace, Schindlers Hunt was purchased at the Goffs Land Rover sale for €28,000, and there was much of his stable companion's agility in the way he avoided potential disaster at the fourth-last.

The favourite, Glenfinn Captain, was in the lead and going well, only to reach for the fence and hit the deck, leaving Loughran with his heart in his mouth.

"He didn't flinch and we were lucky, because the other horse fell the right way," said the jockey, who powered Schindlers Hunt past Blueberry Boy on the turn in to settle the race in a matter of strides.

The same comment also applied to Lounaos, who is now disputing favouritism for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham after an impressive success in the Grade Two yesterday.

Barry Geraghty's Christmas dinner consisted of more smell than taste as the former champion jockey had to waste down to 10st 4lb for Eoin Griffin's mare.

But the discipline paid off with a defeat of another highly-promising French import, Robin Du Bois.

Significantly, it was 14 lengths back to the third horse, but, in festival-terms, Griffin's reluctance to firmly commit Lounaos to the Triumph no matter what seemed just as significant.

"She will be entered for Cheltenham and Aintree, but she definitely wants an ease in the ground and if it's not there at Cheltenham, she won't go," Griffin said.

Indeed, the Co Kilkenny trainer also mentioned the option of a return to France in late April for a Listed race.

"But we'll probably be back here on Hennessy day for the Cashmans Hurdle before we decide anything."

Geraghty had earlier won the second maiden hurdle on Hot Port for Eric McNamara, but there weren't many happier jockeys at Leopardstown than Nina Carberry as the champion amateur rode her first winner on Townabrack since returning from an injury sustained at Liverpool last month.

It was hard going in the bumper for Townabrack, who held off Whatuthink by half-a-length, something that slightly surprised his trainer, Noel Meade.

"We thought he was special enough," Meade declared. "But he is a bit buzzy and we put ear plugs in where we might have been better off taking them out.

"He's had a hard race so we will give him a break and see if he might be a Cheltenham horse."

Meade and Paul Carberry had earlier won the opening maiden on the 10 to 1 shot Charlie Yardbird, and it was Mansony who emerged best in the two-mile handicap chase as he battled to a two-length defeat of the topweight Our Ben.