Last season’s Triumph Hurdle hero Zaynar has continued his progression and is now among the favorites for next March’s Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after extending his unbeaten hurdles sequence to five.

The Aga Khan-bred Zaynar ran out the six-length winner of his seasonal debut and first meeting with his elders in the Gr.2 Ascot Hurdle in November and he repeated the performance to take the important Relkeel Hurdle back at Cheltenham on 12th December.

Out of 1998 Prix de Diane heroine Zainta (Kahyasi), the son of Daylami looks equally as talented over timber as his uncle, French champion hurdler Zaiyad. Zaynar was sold by the Aga Khan Studs at Arqana’s horses in training sale in July 2008, where he was bought for €110,000 by Highflyer Bloodstock on behalf of the “Men In Our Position” syndicate.

A Listed winner and runner-up by just a head in the Gr.3 Gallinule Stakes on the flat in Ireland, Alaivan (Kalanisi) could be the next rising Aga Khan-bred star over jumps. He outclassed his rivals on his debut at Gowran Park recently, winning by a margin of 15 lengths, and he is now set to step up in class for a Grade 2 event at Leopardstown on Boxing Day. Alaivan’s target will be to follow the footsteps of Zaynar in the Triumph Hurdle.