Pravalaguna fancied to keep Mullins on a roll

Pravalaguna will bid to provide Willie Mullins with a third win in the last four runnings of the Joe Walsh Memorial Hurdle at Cork on Monday.

The champion trainer saddled Simenon and Coquin Mans to claim successive renewals of this prize in 2016 and 2017 respectively, while a former Mullins inmate struck gold 12 months ago in Arctic Fire, now trained by Denis Cullen.

Pravalaguna emerged with plenty of credit when finishing seventh in last Wednesday’s Galway Plate and is well suited by the conditions of this three-mile contest — receiving over a stone in weight from her main rivals despite being the highest-rated horse in the field.

Providing her Galway exertions have not taken too much of a toll, Pravalaguna should prove hard to beat in the hands of Paul Townend.

Gordon Elliott saddles Count Simon (Davy Russell) and Everybreathyoutake (Keith Donoghue), both of whom came up a little short when bidding to complete hat-tricks on their most recent outings.

Everybreathyoutake filled the runner-up spot behind John McConnell’s Fred The Foot at Limerick, and the pair will renew rivalry on Monday.

Denis Hogan ’s course-and-distance winner Macgiloney Declan Queally’s Tell Me Annie and the Michael Bowe-trained Jaime Sommers complete the field. Give Battle might be the answer to the Children Under 14 Race For Free Handicap Hurdle.

The seven-year-old suffered a short priced defeat on his return from almost two years on the sidelines when fifth on the Flat at Hamilton in early June, since which he has gone close twice over obstacles.

He was beaten just a nose here last month before going down by half a length at Killarney six days later.

A 5lb rise makes life tougher, but Give Battle remains lightly raced and will not be winning out turn if he can strike gold for Charles Byrnes.

Byrnes also has a leading contender for the Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle in Sky Marshal He ran a fine race to finish third behind Diamond Hill at Galway a few days ago and this looks a good opportunity for him to open his jumping account.