Punchestown Festival: Might Potter upsets the odds Champion Novice Hurdle

Mighty Potter claimed a surprise victory in the Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

A field of five runners went to post for the first Grade One of this year's Festival, with much of the pre-race focus on the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Sir Gerhard and and Dysart Dynamo.

Sir Gerhard was the 4-7 favourite to supplement success in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, with stablemate Dysart Dynamo (13-8) - a faller in the Supreme - widely considered his biggest threat.

Dysart Dynamo adopted his customary front-running role from flag-fall, with Sir Gerhard and Mighty Potter always his nearest pursuers.

The latter was pulled up in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, but raced with far more enthusiasm on this occasion, with Jack Kennedy doing a good job of keeping Sir Gerhard and Paul Townend in a pocket.

The gap came for Sir Gerhard before the home turn, but he was unable to keep tabs on 20-1 shot Mighty Potter, who fiddled his way over the final flight to seal a four-length verdict.

Elliott, completing a quick-fire double following the earlier success of Party Central in the opener, said: "It's brilliant to win the first two races. I know it's not going to be smooth sailing all week and when Willie gets going it will probably be like a steam train!

"I'm very lucky with all the support I have in the yard."

Mighty Potter wins the Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle at #Punchestown for Gordon Elliott with favourite Sir Gerhard failing to fire. #RTEracing pic.twitter.com/UpSSS8h6Pn

He added: "Being honest, I thought Party Central was my best chance of the day. I was humming and hawing whether I'd run this horse. We walked the track a couple of times and said we'd take our chance.

"I thought Jack gave him a beautiful