AFTER a funeral Ladbroke day at Leopardstown last weekend, the return of the bookmakers to their pitches, the reappearance of Danoli, and the raid by Cheltenham trainer David Nicholson should all combine to give the kiss of life to the corpse of Leopardstown's National Hunt season.

The AIG Europe Champion Hurdle may be much the most valuable race on the card, but if Danoli delivers in the Baileys Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup, the reception that awaits him will surely drown out that which greets the Champion Hurdler, no matter what wins.

It was a surprise to me that Tote punters should have fared better than those who backed Danoli with the bookmakers when he won the Dennys Gold Medal Chase here on St Stephen's Day. With such an enormous fan club one would have thought that he would be a Tote hot pot. As it transpired the odds in both cases were 5 to 2 but there was no levy to pay on moneys back from Computote.

In victory he had six lengths to spare over English challenger Land Afar. Previously Land Afar had run Mulligan to a neck at Sandown but Mulligan could offer more potent opposition than the formbook makes out. He threw some spectacular jumps and could be a more natural steeplechaser than Danoli.

However, the ace in the pack could be the fact that England got much more severe weather than we did and our horses could have the edge in fitness. A third Arkle runner that will have to be considered is Kharasar. He looked sure to finish second to Danoli until falling at the second last fence and is now 7lbs better off.

Theatreworld seems to sprout wings when he comes to jump hurdles at Leopardstown and Charlie Swan I believe made the right choice in picking the younger horse over Urubande in the Champion Hurdle.

Escartfeigue, who was fourth to Paddy's Return in the Daily Express Triumph Hurdle, had Zabadi two places further back and is quoted at only 10 to 1 for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle. He has not run this season whereas Zabadi claimed a notable success when upsetting Urubande at Newbury at the end of November and it may require all Theatreworld's course know how to hold him at hay.

It is still not possible to make any semblance of sense out of the Irish juvenile hurdle form and it could be that the Nicholson runner, and talked of Triumph Hurdle horse, Namoodaj will prove himself to be in a different league to the locals in the Waterford Crystal Hurdle.

Tell The Nipper has only to reproduce his fourth placing to Miltonfield over three miles here to win the long distance handicap that opens the card.

. Peter O'Sullevan, who is to retire as the BBC's chief racing commentator later this year, is to have a race named after him at Chepstow on Saturday March 8th. The £20,000 two mile Peter O'Sullevan Novices' Hurdle for five year olds will be televised as part of the BBC's Grandstand programme that afternoon.