Michael O'Brien insists he has not lost faith in his Supreme Novices' Hurdle hopeful De Valira, despite his shock reverse at Punchestown recently.

The five-year-old, a half-brother to the ill-fated Valiramix, leapt to the head of the betting for the two-mile novice championship when he lowered the colours of Edward O'Grady's highly-regarded Catch Me in December.

He was expected to confirm that impression on his next start but came off second best against Noel Meade's 50-1 chance Orbit O'Gold.

'I haven't lost any faith in this horse at all, he wasn't 100% last time,' said O'Brien.

'He (Andrew Lynch) rode him on the inside and he never had any racing room and when he went to make his move on the turn into the straight he got stopped.

'If that hadn't have happened Andrew claims he would have won. I've looked at the tape a few times since and I think he is correct.

'To go to Cheltenham, though, the horse should have been able to win that type of race without being 100%. The horse that won it is a staying horse but he didn't pick him up.

'He is going to run again at Punchestown next Wednesday and then on to the Supreme.

'We think he needs to run a bit more often than the likes of In Compliance as he is a horse that gets very high on himself and he just got cast in his box before his last race and missed two or three days work. Then we didn't give him any strong work which is why he ran a bit flat.

'You won't see him at his best until he gets into a race with a real good strong pace and hopefully that will be the Supreme,' O'Brien told At The Races.

De Valira is an 8-1 chance for the Festival opener on March 13.

(C) PA Sport