Zafarabad ensured he will head to the Cheltenham Festival with his unbeaten record intact when disposing of Rainwatch at Newbury yesterday. The grey completed his impressive racecourse build-up by achieving his hat-trick in the Stroud Green Juvenile Novice Hurdle.
The race was billed as a rare match between two leading contenders for the Elite Racing Club Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.
But Zafarabad, the first winner of a Richard Johnson treble, was already well on top when frontrunning Rainwatch came down at the last hurdle, leaving him to score by a distance.
As a result he is now as low as 7 to 2 favourite with William Hill for the Triumph Hurdle (from 5 to 1). He is 4 to 1 with Ladbrokes and 9 to 2 with the Tote. Rainwatch who was "a bit stiff" is a 14 to 1 chance.
Trainer David Nicholson saddled Mysilv to take this race on the way to Triumph Hurdle glory in 1994 and Zafarabad is unlikely to have another run before the big race.
"We will keep our options open but I wouldn't think will run again before Cheltenham. He jumps well, knows his job and races properly," said Nicholson.
Nicholson took greater pleasure in the performance of Mulligan who returned to winning form after three poor runs to resurrect his Cheltenham challenge.
Following two falls over fences, he has been switched to hurdles and finished to good effect to deny Lets Be Frank a hat-trick in the Eastleigh Handicap Hurdle.
"He's a smashing little horse who hasn't deserved anything that has happened to him," said Nicholson. He'll now have a racecourse school over a mile and a half over fences and be aimed at the Cathcart Chase. He needs Adrian on him."
The victories on Zafarabad and Mulligan came either side of a win for Johnson on Seek The Faith, making a rare visit to Newbury.
The nine-year-old, trained at Ledbury by Matt Sheppard, will now make the giant leap from the Hampshire Handicap Chase to the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Sheppard normally runs Seek The Faith at Cheltenham or Chepstow, where he has a victory over Challenger du Luc to his name, on the instructions of his elderly owner Frank Matthews.
But away from his usual haunts, he still emerged victorious by a length and a half from Nashville Star.
"The better the race, the better he runs and when he is held up on the bridle he jumps a lot better. He probably hit the front a bit too soon today," said Sheppard.
