It usually pays to take note when a top jockey spends his St Stephen's Day operating at the Limerick meeting and Barry Geraghty is a significant visitor this year.
The former champion spent the big day in 2004 and 2005 guiding Kicking King to a brace of King George triumphs at Kempton and Sandown and then operated at Leopardstown last year when Lounaos landed the big juvenile hurdle.
However, Geraghty travels to Patrickswell this time for five rides that include his old ally Lounaos who reappears in the Conditions Hurdle and Freds Benefit for Willie Mullins in the featured Grade Two Guinness Greenmount Park Novice Chase.
Conor O'Dwyer was the top-flight rider to win the novice chase last year on One Cool Cookie, but Geraghty may have to play second or third fiddle in a race that contains the Drinmore third Line Ball, a high-class chasing newcomer in Arrive Sir Clive and the one that may trump them all, Notable D'Estruval.
Arthur Moore's horse returned from a lengthy absence to make a winning chasing debut at Fairyhouse and the runner-up, Notre Pere, has boosted the form since.
Moore is no hopeless optimist when it comes to placing horses but he immediately nominated Wednesday's race as the next option for Notable d'Estruval and Philip Carberry maintains the Fairyhouse partnership.
Even allowing for some forecast rain, conditions at Limerick should not be as testing as they usually are for this meeting and that could knock Line Ball's chances as a slogging match will surely suit him more.
Arrive Sir Clive, a point-to-point winner last year, is an unknown quantity while Finger Onthe Pulse has been expensive to follow at times.
Notable D'Estruval could be a bit of value to beat them all.
On official figures, there's little doubt that Lounaos will be very hard to beat but she is returning from an absence and she may not get the ground as soft as she would like.
If there is any chink in her armour, Bahrain Storm looks the one best equipped to take advantage, especially after an eye-catching return to action when a winner on Dundalk's all-weather earlier this month. Adrian Joyce's 5lb claim is hardly a negative factor either.
The course and distance winner Makemtakeit looks another good Geraghty contender in the handicap hurdle while Rosy Cyborg's hurdling experience could give that Mullins runner a valuable edge on One Cool Guy in the opener.
The Champion Hurdle-winning trainer Colm Murphy will have a busy St Stephen's morning with runners at all three meetings including the pair of Very Effecient and Borleagh Princess who can pick up the first two races on the Down Royal card.
Cleni Boy mixed it with some of the best novice hurdlers last season, where his record included a Grade One placing in the Royal Bond, and he is due to make a fencing debut in the Beginners Chase under Emmet Butterly.
Port La Claine found only Mr Muji too good in a Navan hurdle on his last start, when starting 33 to 1, and will be a hard nut to crack in the bumper.
The Grand National-winning trainer, Gordon Elliott, gives Russian Buck a quick turn-around after finishing fourth at Navan on Saturday and the nine-year-old has a good shout in the handicap chase considering he won a similar event off a pound higher rating last year.
Northern Alliance represents the powerful Tony Martin-Robbie Colgan team in the opportunity hurdle and this Perth winner appears to be the one to beat in the two-mile event.
The Horse And Jockey Hotel Hurdle at Thurles yesterday saw the return of Ruby Walsh, but the race will be remembered for the shock reverse of long odds-on favourite Catch Me.
This should have been a routine victory for Edward O'Grady's 2 to 11 shot but the game was soon up for Andrew McNamara's mount, who was treading water before the second-last flight. Last season's Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle third eventually trailed home fourth behind the 25 to 1 winner Sunshine Guest, who took it up two out and defeated Holly Tree by eight lengths.
