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Lisa O’Neill, Gordon Elliott’s assistant trainer, has backed El Cairos to come out on top in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The Elliott-trained El Cairos is the fifth-favourite at 8/1. 

O’Neill told Boyle Sports: “El Cairos is Gordon’s main contender in the Supreme. He’s a horse that really excites me and I know he excites [jockey] Jack Kennedy as well. He’s a horse who came down at the last in Leopardstown at Christmas and I suppose there was a bit of a heart in the mouth moment at Thurles at the last when he won his maiden hurdle.

“But he has bags of speed – he’s a seriously pacey horse. I remember watching him in the Champion Bumper last year, the way he puts his head down and gallops and picks up and accelerates is not something you see too often in a horse. So, I’m very excited to see him go there.

“Old Park Star is the talking horse but we will find out how good El Cairos is. 

“At the moment he can do no wrong in our eyes. Obviously, he’s probably got to improve from a jumping perspective, but the way he regathered himself at Thurles and picked up and hit the line was super impressive. 

“So, he’s our biggest chance there, albeit he’s got to take on some of the big guns, but I think he’s well capable of doing that.”