Love Envoi had to play second fiddle as Honeysuckle went out with a fairytale success last month but can have her day in the sun at Punchestown on Saturday.
The Harry Fry-trained mare ran a cracker in the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham when making the great mare work for her victory.
She proved a tough nut to crack then, up the run-in, and can confirm that form now with the rivals that finished in behind.
The daughter of Westerner likes to get on with things and connections have secured the perfect man for a front-runner in Danny Mullins.
She looks likely to get her own way in front here with most of the field having been held up in recent runs.
That should suit down to the ground and the seven-year-old will be hard to get past in the Grade One feature on the final day.
Queens Brook was a staying-on third in the Mares’ Hurdle but still has a few lengths to find with Love Envoi.
Willie Mullins saddles three in the contest and Echoes In Rain, fourth at Cheltenham, would appear to be his main hope.
She failed to pick up after making up ground from off the pace last time and this course may suit the Authorized mare a bit better.
The other English raider in the field is former Champion Hurdler Epatante.
She has to be respected but was down the field in the Mares’ Hurdle before a solid enough run to finish fourth at Aintree. She doesn’t look quite the force of old.
In the other Grade One contest on the card it’s hard to oppose Lossiemouth, who was very good when winning the Triumph Hurdle.
She ran out an easy winner at Cheltenham, avenging her unlucky defeat by stablemate Gala Marceau at the Dublin Racing festival.
The Great Pretender filly had also comfortably accounted for another stablemate, Zarak The Brave, at Fairyhouse earlier in the season and looks to hold all the aces.
Fairyhouse winner Enjoy The Dream is the one potential improver in the field but needs to step up again on her Grade Two win at Easter.
The handicaps at this meeting are always very competitive but one that stands out is Seddon in the two-mile-three hurdle.
John McConnell has already bagged a big pot here this week with Hereditary Rule and this Stowaway gelding has been in great form this season for the Stamullen handler.
He ran out a good winner of a hot handicap chase at Cheltenham last time, his third win on the bounce.
The revitalised 10-year-old is now rated 148 over fences so it’s no surprise to see McConnell switch him back to timber off a stone lower mark.
Ben Harvey has emerged as a real talent this term and he takes 5lb off his back again.
Hurricane Darwin bids for back-to-back wins in the opening banks race and he has clearly been targeted at this prize again.
He has run a couple of nice races over fences this year and the fact that he comes here a bit fresher than a few of his rivals, who have already been in action this week, looks a plus.
GARY CARSONNEXT BEST
2.35: Hurricane Darwin Three By Two
3.10: My Design Aione
3.50: Love Envoi (Dbl) Echoes In Rain
4.25: Brideswell Lad Flegmatik
5.00: Lossiemouth Gala Marceau
5.30:Seddon (Nap) Heia
6.05: Sorrentino Rainbow Trail
6.40: Hell Bent Stuzzikini
