If you're one of the multitude swarming to Leopardstown on Tuesday, then tips are probably welcome. And who better to get a tip from than JP McManus. Better still, the legendary punter and currency dealer looks to have provided everyone with one very public tip.

Knife Edge has just his second start over fences in the first day festival feature, the £60,000 Denny Gold Medal Novice Chase, but it's his first start in McManus's famous green and yellow colours.

The Michael O'Brien-trained runner is a very familiar horse to McManus having spent much of his hurdling career filling the places behind Istabraq.

Take that mighty champion away and Knife Edge proved himself a very potent hurdling sort in his own right by beating another McManus star in Youlneverwalkalone at Cork in October.

Since then, Knife Edge has waltzed up in his first fencing start at Naas last month and McManus has made a very obvious declaration of faith in the horse's steeplechase future by forking out for him.

Cheltenham is clearly the aim and Knife Edge has five opponents that have the talent to give a test to his credentials for that March target.

However, O'Brien said: "If he is to have any chance of going to Cheltenham and the Arkle he would want to collect. He has schooled only twice since he won but will school again on Saturday and is in very good form."

Of the five, Well Ridden, who made a bad mistake at the second last when third to Sackville at Fairyhouse, could need a longer trip, while Moscow Retreat hasn't run since September. The best of them could be Alcapone, who jumped brilliantly and overcame loose horses as well as the opposition to score at Fairyhouse.

The other Denny-sponsored highlight is the Juvenile Hurdle, which features the best of the three-year-olds seen out so far this season.

Francies Fancy was a surprise winner at Fairyhouse from Golden Storm while the one filly in the race, Softly Softly, was a good winner of her only hurdles start at Down Royal last month.

Preference, however, is for Golden Storm's stable mate, Hill Port, who finished third to Softly Softly but who now has the ground conditions to really suit.

It cannot be too heavy for Hill Port as he proved when winning off a 75 mark at Tralee in the summer and the Leopardstown spokesman, Tom Burke, confirmed yesterday: "The ground will clearly be heavy considering all the rain we've had."

That will have been music to Frances Crowley's ears and on this surface, Hill Port's flat talent can be translated fully to hurdles.

Arthur Moore looks the trainer to follow in two races. His talented son John Daniel rides Cadoo Royal in the second maiden hurdle and this one will be no longshot as he was when second to the highly-rated Ned Kelly at Naas. Conor O'Dwyer will be on board Double Account in the handicap hurdle and this one can improve from a fourth to Tryphaena last time.

Charlie Swan is an interesting booking for the John Magnierowned, Noel Meade-trained Biscayne Bay in the opener and this one is a relatively confident selection to improve on his second to Natalie Knows at Fairyhouse.

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