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The Yellow Clay confirmed early promise when extending his winning run to four in Sunday’s 2m4f Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle at Naas.

A two-time winner of Irish bumpers in 2023, trainer Gordon Elliott struggled to get a victory out of the talented gelding in three runs at the start of 2024, although The Yellow Clay demonstrated improvement when placing second in the Grade 1 Punchestown Champion INH Flat Race in April.

The six-year-old has appeared a different proposition since switching to hurdles, winning his debut by nine-lengths and impressive many with a ten-length success in the Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan in November. Returning to the same course and distance a month later, The Yellow Clay was forced to battle for a neck success in the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle and appeared ready for the top-level.

A clean jumping performance helped The Yellow Clay in a race full of exciting novice hurdlers, with jockey Sam Ewing joining stablemate Wingmen at the fore through the home turn. He hit the front with two to jump and stayed on well to finish eight-lengths ahead of Mullins' Supersundae, with favourite Jasmin De Vaux only able to find fourth after a poor jumping display.

In an interview with RTE, Gordon Elliott said: "He just knows how to win and is improving the whole time. I was very worried about the ground and was undecided about running him but I rang Noel (Moran, owner), who is in Turkey, and he gave me the green light.

"They went a good gallop all the way and Wingmen ran a good race as well.

"I'd imagine he (The Yellow Clay) will go straight to Cheltenham now. I loved the way he travelled today and if anything, he probably got there plenty soon. Sam said he hated the ground.

"The race in Navan, where he was a bit behind the bridle, probably helped to wake him up."