Prince Of Scars bounded into the Ladbrokes World Hurdle picture after he got the better of fellow Gigginstown runner Alpha Des Obeaux in the Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Gordon Elliott's five-year-old is now available at around the 14-1 mark for the Cheltenham Festival showpiece in March as he clinically brought up a hat-trick under Davy Russell.
With Arctic Fire seemingly failing to stay three miles - he was last of the four horses that completed - Prince Of Scars (14-1) looked the winner a long way out and was too good for the Mouse Morris-trained Alpha Des Obeaux, who went down by four lengths.