Cheltenham might be looming large in most people's thoughts, but Tom Taaffe is happy to draw stumps for the season with the hugely promising Merdeka, who scored at Naas yesterday.

Kicking King's trainer was again dropping future Gold Cup hints about Merdeka after the horse made all the running in the Bar-One Johnstown Novice Hurdle. But next month's festival is definitely not on the agenda.

"He's finished for the year, not going anywhere," beamed Taaffe, who is even thinking ahead beyond next season.

"He will go novice chasing and I hope he will not have a hard year then either. He is a big, raw baby, but he has showed us so much at home since he was a three-year-old that if he stays right I believe he has a chance of going the whole road," he added.

In his bumper days, Merdeka's potential was enough for Taaffe to predict he would one day win on the Friday of the Cheltenham festival.

"I said that before. Mind you, the hunters chase is that day too," he grinned. "But the reality is that if these potential chasers can win Grade Ones or Twos over hurdles, then they are horses to look forward to."

With the current Gold Cup champion Kicking King on the sidelines, Taaffe's festival team will consist of Emotional Moment (World Hurdle), Tumbling Dice (Jewson Novices Chase) and Kings Advocate (Pertemps Hurdle).

Back To Bid got closest to Merdeka, who got an easy lead for most of the race, but he too is unlikely to go to Cheltenham.

Noel Meade, however, was presented with a pleasant festival dilemma after Sir Oj got the better of a prolonged duel with Nickname in the Tote Newlands Chase.

Boylesports reacted to the length-and-a-half success by making Sir Oj a 7 to 1 favourite for the Racing Post Plate, which was formerly the Mildmay Of Flete. But Meade could have even bigger targets in mind.

"We will see where he sits in the handicaps, but I wouldn't be afraid of going for the Ryanair Chase," he said. "He's in the Grand National as well and he could be a horse with a great chance in that. He could hack along easy, and he jumps too."

The Anglo Irish Bank Nas Na Riogh Chase was pitched beforehand as a virtual match between the odds-on Father Matt and his old rival Kill Devil Hill.

But the favourite gave Paul Carberry no chance on staying on board with a horrible mistake at the eighth, and Kill Devil's performance was impaired by a respiratory tract infection discovered after the race.

He struggled home in third behind the 12 to 1 winner Lordofourown, whose trainer, Shane Donohoe, is on a golf holiday in Spain and missed out on a Grade Two success.

"We will look at the Power Gold Cup or Aintree," said Donohoe's wife, Samantha. "He is not entered at Cheltenham, as he likes flat galloping tracks. The Future Champions Race at Ayr might be a suitable race for him too."

Kill Devil Hill is finished for the season and his rider, Conor O'Dwyer, said: "I was never travelling. Even when Paul went out the writing was on the wall."

Nickname's trainer, Martin Brassil, had better luck in the opening maiden hurdle where Fanling Lady came through to provide jockey Mark Walsh with an eighth winner of the season.

Timmy Murphy made his trip to Naas pay off with a smooth success on Premier Rouge in the two mile handicap hurdle, while Brian Byrnes drove Compo to a head defeat of Zaffran Lady in the three-mile handicap.

Favourite backers won the bumper in easy style with Hairy Molly, who could go novice hurdling sooner rather than later.

"Chasing could be the job for this fellah so we might hurdling sooner than I usually would," said trainer Joe Crowley.