The hat-trick-seeking Carlingford Lough heads a field of eight runners for the Stan James Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown tomorrow.
John Kiely’s stable star is bidding to become the third horse to win this race on three successive occasions after Jodami (1993-95) and Florida Pearl (1999-01).
Gordon Elliott is double-handed as he chases his first win in the €150,000 feature event and will be represented by the much-improved Empire Of Dirt, who is stepping up in class after his clear-cut success in the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan in November.
Don Poli bounced back to form when chasing home Outlander in the Grade One Lexus Chase at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival and also carries the hopes of the season’s leading trainer.
Also with two runners is Jonjo O’Neill who has declared Minella Rocco and More Of That as he bids to become the first British-based trainer to win the race since Paul Nicholls' Neptune Collonges, ridden by Ruby Walsh, triumphed in 2009.
Road To Riches finished runner-up to Carlingford Lough in this race last year and, wearing cheek-pieces for the first time, flies the flag for Noel Meade while Jessica Harrington runs Sizing John who is trying this new trip.
Completing the line-up is the Andy Lynch-trained Zabana, the mount of Davy Russell.
This could be Don Poli’s day for glory under David Mullins but no favourite has succeded since Quel Esprit triumphed in 2012.
Carlingford Lough might emerge best of the three JP McManus runners.
The first of four Grade One races is the €80,000 Spring Juvenile Hurdle and it has attracted a field of nine. Two of them are trained by Willie Mullins, who was responsible for the first three horses home in this race last year and the first two in 2015.
His hopes are with impressive course and distance winners Bapaume and Meri Devie. Ruby picks the former with Paul Townend partnering Meri Devie.
Joseph O'Brien runs three in Bhutan, Housesofparliament and Sword Fighter while Elliott is double-handed with Mega Fortune and Dinaria Des Obeaux.
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You have to respect Ruby’s choice in going for Bapaume but I’ll have an each-way interest in the other one, Meri Devie, an impressive course and distance winner at Christmas and with the 7lb fillies' allowance here.
She can give Willie a third consecutive success in this.
Mullins is responsible for six of the 10 runners in the Grade One Deloitte Novice Hurdle. Among his team is Saturnas who landed the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting.
He’s a 5/2 favourite over Bunk Off Early but the pick of the opposition could be Elliott’s Brelade, still with two lengths to find on Saturnas from their Christmas encounter.
Our Duke, trained by Harrington, was successful in the Grade One novice chase at Leopardstown at Christmas and heads the field for the Flogas Novice Chase.
Unbeaten in two starts over fences, the exciting seven-year-old takes on five rivals including the Willie Mullins-trained favourite Bellshill, who is also unbeaten in his two starts over fences, Noel Meade’s Disko, Elliott’s A Toi Phil and the Mullins second-string Bleu Et Rouge.
The outstanding hunter chaser On The Fringe completed a magnificent treble at the Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown festivals for the second successive year in 2016 and he will face a maximum of nine rivals here.
The one he has to overcome is Ted Walsh’s Foxrock, a winner at Down Royal on St Stephen's Day and again at Thurles in January.
Selections: Neville Ring
1.30 Who’s That
2.00 Dandridge
2.30 Meri Devie
3.00 Saturnas (Dbl)
3.30 Our Duke (Nap)
4.00 Don Poli
4.30 Foxrock
5.00 Voix Des Tiep
Selections: Next Best
1.30 Verona Opera
2.00 Velvet Maker
2.30 Bapaume
3.00 Brelade
3.30 Bellshill
4.00 Carlingford Lough
4.30 On The Fringe
5.00 Line Out
