Echoes In Rain

The first of the week’s top level contests is likely to see Appreciate It bid to end a flawless first season over hurdles in fitting style and he is a worthy odds-on favourite as he looks to make it four Grade 1 victories on the spin.

He will surely take all the beating but in his highly progressive and in-form stablemate Echoes In Rain he faces a formidable rival. This mare came up short in a Grade 2 at Punchestown in January but has moved on to an altogether different level since then. At Naas the following month she ran out a highly impressive winner of another graded event and eight lengths back in second that day was Belfast Banter whose subsequent exploits make that form look red-hot.

In addition Echoes In Rain was hugely impressive in a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse over Easter where she trounced a useful field by 15 lengths and she could easily have won by more that day. A clash with Appreciate It represents an altogether different challenge but she is an improving mare who is showing Grade 1 potential and a mark of 141 could underestimate her abilities.

Allaho

Another fascinating clash between some top drawer Willie Mullins inmates is in prospect with Chacun Pour Soi and Allaho heading the acceptors for Tuesday’s feature.

Chacun Pour Soi recorded his first Grade 1 success over this course and distance as a novice chaser back in 2019 and warrants the utmost consideration as he looks to bounce back from an odds-on defeat in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

In Allaho though he faces a daunting rival. The latter hasn’t tried the minimum trip since he was beaten in a bumper at Leopardstown in December 2018 and his next three starts following that run all came at three miles where he showed top class form against Minella Indo.

This term though has developed into a top class performer at two-and-a-half-miles with his display in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham being nothing short of spectacular. The manner in which he dominated the Ryanair would indicate that a return to the minimum trip is a realistic route for Allaho to follow and even though he will have to prove himself at this distance he looks very well equipped for the demands of two-mile chasing.

This earns him the nod over his stablemate.

Crosshill

This six-year-old lines up in the staying novice championship needing to find some improvement but there is a more than fair chance that the best is still to come from him over hurdles.

Last time out he ran an excellent race in a well contested novice handicap hurdle over this trip at Fairyhouse where he was only collared late on by Lady Breffni. A step up to Grade 1 level demands more but he can surely progress from what was his first run for two months and he might not have as much to find as might initially seem to be the case.

Crosshill did lose his way somewhat through the depths of the winter but it was highly encouraging to see how his fortunes improved when he got on better ground at Fairyhouse. Furthermore, it should be remembered that he began his season with an impressive maiden hurdle success at this track in late October.

On that occasion he handed out an 11 lengths beating to the subsequent Cheltenham winner Vanillier and that display would suggest that Crosshill is a legitimate contender for this prize.

Crossed My Mind

After a couple of wins during the winter this Arthur Moore inmate has come up short on his last two outings but he probably has a much better chance in this valuable handicap than his last two efforts imply.

Firstly, he is easily forgiven his last run over hurdles at Cork as he is probably a better chaser than a hurdler. Secondly his last outing over fences came in a red hot edition of the Leopardstown Chase where he was beaten less than 10 lengths into eighth by Off You Go.

In what was probably the best domestic handicap of the season the horses in front of him that day included the Grand National hero Minella Times, the Topham winner Livelovelaugh, the Cheltenham Festival second Farclas, the Leinster National victor Scoir Mear and two other subsequent winners.

When all this is taken into account an eighth place finish in that handicap starts to like a very solid piece of form. Crossed My Mind does find himself 10lbs higher in the weights than when winning a decent pot at Navan in December but he does give the impression that another good prize is within his reach. A repeat of his Leopardstown run would be sufficient for him to be fighting out the finish of this race.

Flooring Porter

Among the myriad of Cheltenham Festival winners who will take to the stage next week is this relentless improver and he can sign off for the campaign with a third straight victory at Grade 1 level.

An ability to cope with seemingly any ground on any sort of track has been a feature of Flooring Porter’s season and since trouncing a good field in a quality handicap at Navan in early December he has moved on to a different level over hurdles.

The bold decision to supplement him for a Grade 1 at Leopardstown over Christmas was rewarded with a six-length triumph over The Storyteller and even better was to come at Cheltenham last month in the Stayers Hurdle.

Once again Flooring Porter set out to do things the hard way by making all the running and he posted a third successive career best display to defeat Sire Du Berlais by just over three lengths.

Flooring Porter’s efforts this season means that he already holds quite a few of next week’s likely opponents and his progressive and impressive profile means that he is not one to oppose, especially on ground that will suit him very well.