Namoose stars in Geraghty treble John Ferguson is eyeing "championship races" for El Namoose after the exciting youngster starred in a treble for Barry Geraghty at Huntingdon. Having won a couple of bumpers without coming off the bridle since returning from a summer break, the five-year-old was a 1-5 favourite for his jumps debut in the Omni Security Mobile Patrol Services Novices' Hurdle. Ferguson's charge travelled with panache throughout and although he was awkward two flights from the finish, it was not enough to stop him passing the post four lengths clear of Tingo In The Tale. His trainer said: "That was a nice start. I was delighted he made a mistake at the second-last as he's never made a mistake at home. He needs to learn. "There's a National Hunt novice at Cheltenham on December 12. We'll see how he is when we get him home, but that might be a possibility. "On the basis he continues to do nothing wrong, championship races have to be considered. He's got a lot of speed." El Namoose is an unchanged 33-1 shot with Paddy Power for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the Neptune at Cheltenham next March. Ferguson and Geraghty successfully teamed up in the bumper as 2-1 favourite Avenue Of Honour made a winning racecourse debut. The middle leg of the rider's treble was brought up by Volnay De Thaix, who blew his rivals away in the £25,000 Omni Security Services Michaelmas Hurdle. Despite the burden of top weight, Nicky Henderson's 13-8 favourite barely came off the bridle in easing to a three-and-a-quarter-length victory. The Seven Barrows handler will await the handicapper's reaction before deciding whether to let him turn out for the Betfair-sponsored "Fixed Brush" Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday week. Henderson told Racing UK: "If he (the handicapper) only put him up 6lb, I wouldn't (run at Haydock). If he's going to get a thrashing we'd obviously have to think about it. "I think we've always hoped he was nice and he looked that way. We've treated him as a baby, really, and kept him out of Cheltenham and things like that. He was fifth in the novice at Aintree. "We thought about going chasing, but we thought another year would do him good and leave him over hurdles. He's not a great show-off in the morning. He's just come nicely to hand. "It was a very nice race and it was great for Julie Wilson (owner). It's local to her and it was great she could come and see him run. We've said we're going to stay over hurdles and I think we'll still have to do that, but we're really going to be in the lap of the handicapper."
