3.10 Flogas Novice Chase (Grade 1) 2m 5f

Andy Dufresne: Promising sort who won at Grade 2 level as a hurdler and should be just as good over fences judged on his beginners’ chase win at Wexford in late October which was followed by a Grade 3 triumph at Navan in early December.

A step up to this level demands vastly more but he should improve for this trip and it will be interesting to see how he fares.

Assemble: Useful sort who started out over fences with a likeable win in a Fairyhouse beginners’ chase before chasing home Envoi Allen in the Drinmore.

He was well held when falling at the last in a Grade 1 at Limerick over Christmas and that suggests he is likely to come up short against a few of these.

Asterion Forlonge: Won a Grade 1 novice hurdle at this meeting last season and looked destined to take a high rank amongst the novice chasers when scoring on his return at Punchestown in November.

He has since fallen twice though and that makes him a risky enough proposition against some of these.

Conflated: Suffered a heavy defeat behind Monkfish and Latest Exhibition in a Grade 1 over 3m here at Christmas but this shorter trip could be a help to him and he is better than he showed last time. Even so, he looks to have it all to do in a novice chase of real quality.

Fils d’Oudairies: Looked a nice type when getting off the mark on his second Irish start in a 2m 4f rated novice chase at Navan prior to Christmas and more than confirmed that promise in a Grade 3 at Punchestown last month where he finished an excellent 3½l second to Envoi Allen.

That last effort makes him quite interesting and he might just have a better chance than his odds imply.

Janidil: Very smart novice hurdler and began his chasing career with a pleasing victory in a smart beginners’ chase at Naas in November. He came up well short in a Limerick Grade 1 won by Colreevy next time though and that last run leaves him with plenty on against some of these.

Latest Exhibition: Top-drawer staying novice hurdler as he showed when winning a Grade 1 at this meeting last year before only just failing to defeat Monkfish in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham.

Monkfish was again too strong for him in a Grade 1 here at Christmas but he ran very well to finish a 3l second and he will once again represent a most formidable opponent for his old rival.

Macgiloney: Capable on his day as he showed when winning at Roscommon in July and running quite well at Galway several weeks later, but he hasn’t been at his best since then and he has a mountain to climb here.

Monkfish: Top-class novice hurdler last year as he showed when winning the Albert Bartlett, and he looks set for the top over fences on the evidence of his beginners’ chase win at Fairyhouse which preceded his Grade 1 triumph here in December.

A slight drop in trip is of no concern for this gelding and he sets quite a standard here.

Verdict

The latest instalment in the rivalry between Monkfish and Latest Exhibition. The former once again bested his old foe at Christmas but there isn’t much between the pair and Monkfish will again need to be at the top of his game to account for Paul Nolan’s charge. Fils d’Oudairies is a novice on the up and a good showing from him wouldn’t surprise.