Sous Les Cieux winning the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse© Photo Healy Racing
Willie Mullins is hopeful Sous Les Cieux can rediscover his best form in the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.
The six-year-old won the Grade One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse back in December, but subsequent results have been disappointing.
He was well beaten behind Simonsig in the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle at last month's Cheltenham Festival but is back on a softer surface, is fitted with blinkers for the first time and steps up to three miles on his return to action.
Mullins also saddles Marasonnien and Vesper Bell
"Sous Les Cieux has to have his chance on the ratings and the ground won't bother him," said Mullins.
"He's never been this far before but we think he'll get the trip all right and we're putting blinkers on him for the first time.
"He's in good form at home and hopefully he'll run well.
"The other two horses will love the ground as well, but they are more novice chasers for next season really."
A notable absentee from the race is the Mullins-trained Boston Bob, runner-up in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The trainer said: "I worked him last week and I wasn't 100% happy with him so I decided not to run. He's finished for the season now."
Noel Meade saddles Ipsos Du Berlais and Please Talk
The first-named should be well suited by conditions, but Meade admits the fact he ran at Aintree earlier this month leaves a question mark over whether he remains at his best.
"He didn't run any sort of race in Cheltenham. Things went against him and he was pulled up, but he didn't have a hard time," said Meade.
"We decided to run him at Aintree thinking he would get his soft ground. In the end he didn't but he still ran a decent race to finish fourth.
"He'll be happier back on this softer ground tomorrow, but the big question is how much that run at Aintree will have taken out of him.
"He seems well at home but he did run less than a fortnight ago over three miles. We'll just have to see how he gets on.
"The other horse is a really nice horse we like a lot. He's probably more of a chaser than a hurdler, but we do think he's quite smart." My Murphy has won races at Wexford, Limerick and Navan this season for Liam Burke and the trainer is looking forward to testing his powers at the highest level.
"He's in good order and he's a tough horse. The trip will suit him well and hopefully he'll give a good account of himself," said Burke.
"He likes a bit of ease in the ground, but I hope it doesn't go too heavy.
"It's a good race, but fingers crossed he'll run well."
A 12-runner field also includes Jessica Harrington's Jetson the Charles Byrnes-trained Sea Of Thunder and Spring Heeled from Jim Culloty's yard.
