Pavillion classy in 1st at Cheltenham Penglai Pavilion kept his unbeaten record over hurdles intact with a smart display in the first race of the season at Cheltenham. An emphatic winner of his first two starts for John Ferguson in lesser company at Hexham and Stratford respectively, the ex-Godolphin runner - fifth behind Treve in the 2013 Arc - was an easy-to-back 11/4 chance stepped up in class and distance in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle. Aidan Coleman was content to take his time aboard the five-year-old as Jessica Harrington's Sandymount Duke, the well-supported 2/1 favourite and one of three Irish challengers in a six-runner field, adopted a pacesetting role. Sandymount Duke remained in a tenuous lead rounding the home turn, but first Laurium moved up to challenge before Penglai Pavilion found a gap between the pair approaching the final flight. Without resorting to his whip, Coleman coaxed his mount into the lead and he galloped clear up the hill to score by four and a half lengths, with Laurium a clear second
