HENRY de Bromhead and Bryan Cooper grabbed Grade 1 glory on their first visit to Newcastle last Saturday as Identity Thief battled gamely to deny Top Notch in a ding-dong battle up the home straight in the Fighting Fifth.

Identity Thief's success was a first win for Ireland in the race since Go Native's victory for Noel Meade and Davy Condon in 2009.

A mistake at the last looked to have gifted the spoils to Nicky Henderson's Top Notch, who emphatically turned the tables from Haydock last Saturday on the disappointing Irving, but Cooper's mount re-gathered momentum approaching the line and led where it mattered to win by a neck.

Paddy Power made the Gigginstown House Stud-owned gelding a 20-1 shot for the Stan James Champion Hurdle in March, while SkyBet were less impressed, pricing him up at 33-1.

The first and second contested the lead throughout the £105,000 contest, though some bold leaps from Top Notch down the back straight helped Daryl Jacob nick a three-length lead.

Turning into the straight, both Identity Thief and the smooth-travelling Wicklow Brave ranged upsides Top Notch, with de Bromhead's five-year-old leading between the last two flights.

However, a last-flight blunder halted Cooper's mount considerably, though the talented hurdler renewed his challenge inside the final half furlong to claim Top Notch near the line.

Wicklow Brave found little for pressure and finished a tame third, while last year's winner Irving made a bad error four out and never recovered.

De Bromhead said: "I'm delighted with him – he was foot perfect bar the last flight and it was a super ride from Bryan.

"He's a tough horse and definitely a classy fella. We've always thought he's a really nice horse."

Henderson's Punjabi was the last Fighting Fifth winner to land the Champion Hurdle in the same season in 2008-09 and de Bromhead would not rule out a tilt at the two-mile hurdle championship in March.

De Bromhead said: "It's a Champion Hurdle trial, so we'll live the dream a little bit longer at the very least. He has come back twice the horse this year and I'm delighted he showed it here today."

Staying at Newcastle, Micky Hammond, who has enjoyed a fine 2015, was on the mark with Caraline in the handicap chase under Joe Colliver.

Afterwards, the Middleham trainer said: "She won over fences in France, but has been a bit disappointing over hurdles to be honest. But she seemed to enjoy that (back over fences) and Joe has given her a good ride."

Catterick got their jumps season underway on Tuesday and champion trainer Paul Nicholls enjoyed a first success at the track when Stilletto landed the Come Racing New Year's Day Beginners' Chase.

Nicholls, the dominant force for a decade and more in the National Hunt game, had never even had a runner at the Richmondshire venue.

That honour fell to Romain De Senam, who did everything but win the Support The House That Jack Built Juvenile Hurdle.

Harry Cobden set out to make all the running on the 1-4 favourite, only to be caught in the shadow of the post by John Ferguson's Jaleo, ridden by Aidan Coleman.

Stilletto is one of the horses owner Roger Brookhouse has moved from Tom George's yard and the 6-4 favourite cruised through the race for Sam Twiston-Davies.

Jonjo O'Neill is also a rare visitor at the track, but he also enjoyed success with The Tailgater in the concluding bumper under champion jockey-elect Richard Johnson, who said: "The Tailgater was just a bit green when he got there and he should get nicer and nicer in time."

News broke on Wednesday evening that ante-post favourite Un De Sceaux will not run in the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown tomorrow, with trainer Willie Mullins describing his star two-miler as a "little flat".

The Arkle Trophy winner could instead reappear at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival.

The seven-year-old is unbeaten in his completed starts over fences, his only reverse being when he fell at Thurles on his chasing debut.

Mullins tweeted: "Unfortunately #UnDeSceaux will not run this weekend. He has been a little flat in himself the last two days."

Mullins said that he will now "probably" look to run Un De Sceaux at Leopardstown on December 27, when he holds an entry in the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase.

The absence of Mullins' gelding, who was reported to have thrilled connections when schooling after racing at Thurles last week, has left the Paul Nicholls-trained Vibrato Valtat as the new favourite.

A big danger could be Nicky Henderson's resurgent grey Simonsig, winner of the 2013 Arkle, but only seen once since, when pleasing behind stablemate Bobs Worth over hurdles at Aintree last month.