1.10 Ladbrokes Novice Chase (Grade 1) 2m 5f 107yds

Arctic Skua: Winner of a six-year-old-and-upwards maiden between the flags last March. Looks completely out of his depth on return from 280 days off.

Ballyburn: Outstanding novice hurdler last season, winning the first of three consecutive Grade 1s at this meeting in 2024. Ready winner on chasing bow at Punchestown (over two miles and three furlongs on soft ground) before looking somewhat at sea over two miles on good ground behind Sir Gino at Kempton over Christmas. Jumping needs to tidy up and this longer trip is bound to help; he’s bred to stay at least three miles.

Better Days Ahead: Last season’s Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle winner has made a bright start to life over fences, only just failing by a head against stablemate Croke Park here in three-mile Grade 1 over Christmas. Possible that this type of trip could be really up his street, though wasn’t as good as the likes of Ballyburn or Impaire Et Passe over hurdles.

Champ Kiely: Grade 1-winning novice hurdler in 2023, also finishing a seven-and-a-half-length third to Impaire Et Passe in the Ballymore at Cheltenham that season (Gaelic Warrior second). Missed the whole of last season but impressed in beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day on his return. That didn’t look the deepest race and more needed now, but not one to take lightly.

Croke Park: Has really got his act together over fences, unbeaten in three starts, including two Grade 1s (margins of victory were a neck and a head). On the improve, stays well, jumps solidly and has confidence high. That will take him a long way if the likes of Ballyburn or Impaire Et Passe fail to fire, but whether he quite has the same class as those rivals is uncertain.

Impaire Et Passe: Notched the fourth Grade 1 win of his career when landing the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick over Christmas, a farewell winner for jockey Daryl Jacob. Won with authority and is two from two over fences, though the bare form of beating Jordans by four lengths there doesn’t stand out as genuine top-level stuff. Still, has done nothing wrong as a chaser and adds proper depth to an already high-quality affair.

Prairie Dancer: Cracking stalwart who has proven capable of winning under all codes for Joseph O’Brien. Rated 136, however, and that leaves him short the standard required in this company.

He comes with risks attached after his defeat to Sir Gino last time, but Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase favourite Ballyburn is favoured to put that effort behind him over a much more suitable trip. Of all the short-priced favourites from the Mullins camp this weekend, it’s hard to say at this stage he’s the most bulletproof of them but he’s always looked to have the makings of a top-class chaser. Gordon Elliott’s duo of Croke Park and Better Days Ahead are in deeper waters than the last twice, though their experience will stand to them. The biggest dangers to Ballyburn probably come from his own stable, with Champ Kiely and Impaire Et Passe both making into assured chasers.