Chapeau De Soleil - 1.12 Clonmel (Thursday)
Willie Mullins and Susannah Ricci combined to win this race with Ballycasey in 2012 and they team up with point winner Chapeau De Soleil who is still a maiden under Rules. Sent off at odds-on for his racecourse debut, he was no match for the talented Better Days Ahead when looking in need of a stiffer test but he comprehensively reversed the form with that rival in the Cheltenham Festival bumper with the pair finishing tenth and sixteenth.
The Cheltenham form looks strong and Chapeau De Soleil could make up into an above average hurdler but he will need to be in order to better recent Gigginstown purchase St Cuthbert's Cave who was sold after winning at Kelso on debut for Rose Dobbin. Being asked to concede 8lbs to subsequent Royal Bond third and beaten favourite An Tobar on hurdling debut for Gordon Elliott proved too big an ask but the second from Fairyhouse has won since and the improvement shouldn't be lost on him although he again has to concede weight.
Great Universe also misses out on the allowance having won his bumper by 25 lengths which he followed that with a good fourth behind Ballyburn at Punchestown. He's another that should be suited by a trip now hurdling (one hurdles run already for previous yard) and is another now sporting different colours having joined the Mulryans over the summer.
Absolute Notions - 1.47 Clonmel (Thursday)
Cash Back is no back number as he showed when chasing home Beacon Edge in October but the 11-year-old's best days are behind him whereas those of Absolute Notions, hopefully, lie ahead.
The five-year-old has to concede plenty of weight all round in the Jim Strang & Sons Kilsheelan (Peugeot) Hurdle and could emerge with credit from defeat but either way, Absolute Notions remains a decent prospect. He was the stable's fourth string (in the betting) when winning impressively on debut but was top of the market when winning on his hurdling debut on last season's return.
Absolute Notions was then found wanting in graded company, finishing third in the Navan Novice Hurdle behind Inthepocket and Three Card Brag before beating all bar Good Land in the Nathaniel Lacy at Leopardstown. That form was good enough to see him sent off as favourite for the Sefton at Aintree's Festival but he failed to give his running and was pulled up. He proved his well-being with a facile success at 1/12 in October but this will tell connections more about his prospects for the season given it's a stiffer test and a return to three miles which should suit given the abundant stamina in his pedigree.
Butcher Hollow - 12.00 Navan (Saturday)
The owners "wanted a horse to get them to Cheltenham" said Thomas Cooper following Butcher Hollow's impressive winning rules debut in a Galway bumper and this maiden hurdle should go a long way to establishing whether the dream remains alive for that little bit longer.
A wide margin winner of his only run between the flags at the begging of February, he was sold later that month for £200,000 at Tattersalls Cheltenham when knocked down to Hamish Macauley who said: "He was very impressive in his point-to-point and we’d heard good things about him before he ran. We came here, saw him and liked him and hopefully one day he might be back here again.”
The third from Galway, Tactical Affair, made a winning debut at Cork towards the end of November to give the form a boost and this contest will give Butcher Hollow the chance to build on the impression he's made thus far.
Better Days Ahead - 1.07 Navan (Saturday)
The aforementioned Better Days Ahead is one of seven Elliott entries in the Grade 2 Tote Navan Novice Hurdle.
Absolute Notions and Three Card Brag may have had to settle for minor roles in last year's renewal - Inthepocket's yard could be represented by Mahon's Way and Slade Steel - but he landed this prize with Ginto, Death Duty and No More Heroes in recent seasons.
Better Days Ahead didn't live up to market expectations in the Champion Bumper but he is heading the right way over hurdles, recovering from a debut fall (when looking the likely winner) to justify very short odds at Fairyhouse. He only ran once between the flags, winning comfortably at Lisronagh from Farnoge who has impressed in Great Britain for Paul Nicholls this season with Harry Derham describing him as being in the top five novices housed at Ditcheat this season.
Better Days Ahead may have to go some to be in the top five at Cullentra House Stables but there's no doubt that he should develop into a good prospect for the top staying prizes this season.
Croke Park - 1.15 Cork (Sunday)
Better Days Ahead is also entered in the Grade 3 Singletons Supervalu Stayers Novice Hurdle at Cork on Sunday but stablemate Croke Park could be the one to focus on here.
The five-year-old son of Walk In The Park has quickly announced himself as a smart novice hurdler this season, winning on his debut over timber at Clonmel on October 26 before he landed the Grade 3 Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan in good style last time out.
Those races were over two miles and two and a half miles, respectively, but he's a winning pointer who is bred for a trip and he shapes every inch like he'll enjoy stepping up to three miles for the first time here.
El Fabiolo - 2.15 Cork (Sunday)
We've saved the best for last with last season's Sporting Life Arkle winner El Fabiolo all set to make his seasonal reappearance in the Grade 2 Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase at Cork on Sunday.
Old rival Jonbon may well have enhanced/dented his own Champion Chase claims by the time El Fab makes his seasonal return as he contests the Tingle Creek at Sandown on Saturday, but Willie Mullins' horse has a quick opportunity to put his own marker down in the division at Cork.
Mullins has won this race 14 times including the last two renewals with reigning Champion Chase hero Energumene, a horse sadly sidelined due to injury, but El Fabiolo doesn't half look a good substitute considering his highly-promising efforts as a novice chaser last season.
He signed off the last season with another convincing win at Punchestown when last seen and that's exactly what is expected from the exciting six-year-old this weekend.
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