Monmiral stormed to victory in the Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle on the opening day of the 2021 Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.
Having bypassed the Cheltenham Festival, the Paul Nicholls-trained juvenile - sent of the 10-11 favourite - completing a quick Grade One double at Aintree for former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his fellow owners Paul Barber and Ged Mason.
Protektorat had won the opener in the same white, red and blue colours, Nicholls' Monmiral maintained his unbeaten record with a fine seven-and-a-half-length success.
Under Harry Cobden, Monmiral sat just off the long-time leader Fiveandtwenty and went to the front two flights from home. David Pipe's Adagio (13-8) tried to challenge but a mistake at the second last put Monmiral clear.
And he powered home with Adagio, who has also been second in the Triumph Hurdle behind Quilixios at the Cheltenham Festival last month, runner-up again.
Winning jockey Cobden was impressed, saying: "He's a proper horse - he travelled very well and jumped great.
"He's probably beaten the best English juvenile, hasn't he? So he's top class.
"He had loads in the tank. He's a proper Grade One horse - as good a juvenile as I've ever sat on."
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Monmiral was cut to 25-1 from 40-1 for the Champion Hurdle and to 20-1 from 40-1 for the Arkle Trophy with Paddy Power and Betfair, while Coral also went 20-1 for the Arkle.
Nicholls thinks he will stay over the smaller obstacles next season, but there are no definite plans just yet.
Nicholls said: "The owners weren't keen on Cheltenham. Although usually the Triumph is a cavalry charge and this year there weren't many runners. This is a lovely race to win and there's lots to look forward to.
"It has to be the best juvenile performance by a horse this side of the (Irish) sea.
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"It will be hard to go novice chasing next season as a five-year-old, you don't get as much of an allowance as you used to.
"It might be nice to think about the Fighting Fifth, it's something to think about over the summer. A bit of time wouldn't hurt this lad. There's no panic to make a decision. If he won at Newcastle then we know what route to go down."
As for next year's Champion Hurdle, jockey Cobden added: "I'd rather see him jump a fence!"
