With Punchestown still under reconstruction, their traditional Grand National Trial meeting has been transferred to Fairyhouse tomorrow. This, however, is a feature race that has shed its own particular cachet in recent years through the progressive reduction in distance from a serious stamina testing 3m 6f down to 3m 2f last year and 3m 1f this time.

On his last run punters gambled on Tell The Nipper for the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park and he had come from off the pace to be in hot pursuit of the leaders when he fell at the third last fence.

He seems assured of favouritism again and certainly will go well with a clear round. But as value for money I nominate Roundwood whose handler, Dessie Hughes, has some good prospects over the weekend.

He was carrying top weight of 12 stone at Naas this month and jumping really well but the enforced omission of the penultimate fence on the final circuit told against him with a long haul on the flat and Miss Orchestra made her 16lb weight allowance tell.

Another falling favourite last time out who will be top of the market is Norman Williamson's mount Magical Lady in the Ratoath Novice Chase. However, with the ground improving Dessie Hughes can upset this hot-pot with Guest Performance.

On this surface here in November he was 13 lengths clear of the rest of them when a good second to Private Peace.

On the evidence of his Punchestown win over Kilcalm King last April, Rathbawn Prince could well prefer it to be faster still but the most fascinating aspect of the Fairyhouse bumper will be the clash of generations as he is one of seven older winners who are facing up to the challenge of the four-year-olds as presented by Spokesman.

Christy Roche's horse landed a good coup on his debut at Leopardstown but penalised four-year-olds need to be something special to beat their elders at this time of the year.

Whatever the rights or wrongs of the suspension and subsequent remission of Tommy Treacy for his handling of the 2 to 5 favourite Unarmed at Navan, of one thing you can be certain and that is that she did not perform within 10lb of her Leopardstown run when second to His Song.

Had she done so, there is no way that Northern Galaxy could on worse terms have made up a deficit of 33 lengths. The good run of Unarmed was enhanced when His Song in his turn made such a fine race of it with Istabraq in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle.

These are the reasons that encourage me to nap Unarmed against Archive Footage.