RACING Punchestown report Harchibald jumped firmly into the Champion Hurdle picture with a most impressive performance under Paul Carberry at Punchestown yesterday.

The Noel Meade-trained five-year-old was sent off at 10 to 1 for the Grade Two Mongey Communications Morgiana Hurdle, which had been billed as a match between 9 to 10 favourite Macs Joy and main market rival Back In Front (11 to 10).

But the race could hardly have panned out differently as Carberry lobbed along in the slipstream of the big two for much of the way.

Long-time leader Kald River gave way with three to jump as Macs Joy and Back In Front went on, but Carberry was sitting poised with a double handful.

He jumped the last on the bridle and only had to be pushed out to account for Back In Front - who was giving the winner 5lb - by a comfortable one and a half lengths. Macs Joy had to settle for third.

Meade said he had been surprised to see so many people writing off the chances of his charge.

"He's much stronger than last season - he's filled out and is a real racehorse this season," he said. "Wherever he goes we'll stay over two miles and he'll be kept on the Champion Hurdle trail."

Bookmakers may have been writing him off before the race but were taking no chances in the aftermath of such an eye-catching effort.

Meade had struck in the preceding race as a bad mistake at the last fence cost 11 to 8 favourite Mariah Rollins dear in the Western Pleasure Craddockstown Novice Chase.

The Pat Fahy-trained mare, a smart novice hurdler last season, had done everything right in the Grade Two contest and jumped to the front from long-time leader Sir OJ three from home full of running.

But she was steadied into the last by Tom Treacy and barely got over it, handing the initiative back to Sir OJ, who was galvanised for one last effort by Carberry.

Meade admitted that Sir OJ had been slightly fortunate but felt his charge had not been finished with at the time and may have found more still.