THE removal of Leopardstown’s two-mile-one-furlong Grade 1 novice chase from the Christmas calendar clearly didn’t sit well with Willie Mullins, and he’s been indicating that we won’t see Ballyburn in Ireland this week as a result of the shake-up.

He’s handed last season’s exceptional novice hurdler an entry for the Grade 2 Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Friday, but - in his usual fashion to keep all options open - has left Ballyburn among the Limerick entries for the Grade 1 Guinness 00 Faugheen Novice Chase (1.40).

Final fields for the two races won’t be published until after 10am on Thursday, so we remain a little in the dark as to who will line up. Mullins did provide this update after a winner at Thurles on Saturday, though.

“Ballyburn is entered at both Kempton and Limerick, but it looks like Kempton for him,” said the all-conquering trainer.

“Hopefully, there’ll be nice ground there, it suits time-wise and we might have three horses, Impaire Et Passe, Mirazur West and Sa Majeste, for the Limerick race.”

Grade 1 quality

If that plan comes to fruition and Ballyburn does cross the Irish Sea (it appears likely given Paul Townend is booked for no Irish rides on Friday), Impaire Et Passe looks the one set to capitalise and build on an impressive chasing debut success at Fairyhouse four weeks ago. Last season’s Aintree Hurdle hero is out to join a roll of honour that, across the last five years alone, includes Gaelic Warrior (2023), Gerri Colombe (2022), Colreevy (2020) and Faugheen (2019).

Sa Majeste stayed on strongly to win over an extended two miles and seven furlongs at Tipperary five weeks ago. A winner at the Limerick Christmas Festival last year over hurdles, he was well-fancied when down the field in the Coral Cup off a mark of 140 at Cheltenham.

Meanwhile, stablemate Mirazur West was a Grade 2-winning novice hurdler last term, but proved no match for Grade 2 winner Only By Night in a beginners’ chase at Tipperary last month.

Gordon Elliott, who has won the Faugheen three times since 2017, left five runners in the race at the latest entry stage: Better Days Ahead, Croke Park, Stellar Story, Search For Glory and Farren Glory. However, the first three are declared for Grade 1 Long Distance Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Thursday.