There's something of a rarity this weekend with the Saturday card at Navan easily outstripping tomorrow's Punchestown fixture in terms of appeal.
The main reason for that is the clash of Le Coudray and Limestone Lad in the Philips Lismullen Hurdle but, in addition to those two, Klairon Davis goes in the Fortria Chase and local trainer Noel Meade has the potential to have a very good day.
However, it's the meeting of Le Coudray and Limestone Lad that will intrigue punters. Derrymoyle is a former top notcher but it will be surprising if he can cope with the younger pair who are likely to figure prominently at the highest level throughout the season.
Limestone Lad was the heart-warming story of last winter with seven victories for James Bowe and an easy success at Dundalk preceeded a clash with Istabraq last weekend where predictably he couldn't cope with the champion and went down by seven lengths.
Limestone Lad's rating of 153 puts him 2lb in front of the 154rated Le Coudray in today's race and with the in-form Barry Geraghty on board Limestone Lad has to command every respect. Yet preference is for Le Coudray.
The French import looked all over a winner of the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham only to go down in the last strides to the 40 to 1 Anzum. Le Coudray subsequently failed at Punchestown when Aidan O'Brien felt he may have been a little easy on him since Cheltenham.
The horse is now well into the Ballydoyle routine and O'Brien is sure to have him well prepared for this. Le Coudray has always exuded real talent and with his style of running he should be able to pick off Limestone Lad in the closing stages.
Klairon Davis shoulders 12st in the Fortria and should be better for a second to Pas Possible at Dundalk. Although he is 9lb out of the handicap proper preference is for the Meade-trained Sydney Twothousand who returned to action with a defeat of Society Brief and Promalee at the Punchestown Festival.
The big nine-year-old could come into his prime this season and initiate a very profitable day for Meade and stable jockey Paul Carberry.
The partnership run Admiral Wings in the Grade 3 Novices Hurdle and, after wins at Cork, Dundalk and Galway, the five-year-old can be expected to make it four on the trot. Snow Dragon should come on from a third to Regency Rake at Gowran where a last fence mistake ruined whatever chance he had.
Carberry also has a chance for trainer John Carr on She's My Girl in the £25,000 fillies hurdle after a neck second to Peerless Motion in a bumper here. The impressive Kevin O'Ryan is taken to land the bumper on the course runner-up Hat Or Halo.
