Fine Rightly © Photo Healy Racing
The supporting card to the Navan Novice Hurdle on Sunday features the Tara Handicap Hurdle and has attracted 16 hopefuls.
Both champion trainer Willie Mullins and principal challenger Gordon Elliott are represented with two runners each in the E50,000 contest, which also sees the return to hurdling of smart chaser Fine Rightly for trainer Stuart Crawford.
The nine-year-old gelding was rated 152 last year and while he has been beaten over fences on each of his last six starts, some of those races were in Grade One and Scottish National territory and he reverts to hurdling from a lower mark of 129.
The two-and-a-half-mile trip might prove on the sharp side, but he is fairly versatile in that regard and was a useful fourth in a competitive handicap on his previous hurdles start at Navan in November 2016.
The concluding Listed Future Champions INH Flat Race has attracted six runners, notably the Elliott-trained, Gigginstown House Stud-owned pair Felix Desjy and Rapid Escape Both are potentially high-class horses in the making and already winners of a point to point and two bumpers each.
Narrow preference is for Felix Desjy, who was has shown plenty of ability in winning Punchestown and Down Royal bumpers in November.
Noel Meade 's Cask Mate was beaten into second place by Felix Desjy in that Down Royal contest and might be able to win the opening Irish Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle, having run well when again second on his hurdling debut at Cork last month.
