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Cheltenham Festival winner Teahupoo heads a field of 11 for Thursday's Grade 1 Ladbrokes Stayers' Hurdle at Punchestown.
Gordon Elliott's charge finished a three-length fourth in the race last year, having started favourite.
The Robcour-owned runner comes into this year's race a fresher horse than last year, having had just one run before Cheltenham, when outstaying Impaire Et Passe to secure a second consecutive Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December.
Among his opponents on Thursday is Buddy One, who finished fourth at Cheltenham and has been kept busy by trainer Paul Gilligan,
This will be the horse's 11th and final race of the season.
Buddy One looked like he would give Gilligan a third Grade 1, and his first since Jadanli triumphed in what is now the WillowWarm Gold Cup in 2010, when scooting clear in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree under the trainer’s son Jack but they were overhauled by the Olly Murphy-trained Strong Leader.
It would have been a first elite success for Gilligan Jnr but the pilot’s feedback has convinced his father to have another tilt at the big guns.
“He’s been very good since Aintree,” said Paul Gilligan this morning. “He worked the other day and Jack was delighted with him so we’re going to give it a shot and see.
“He has it all to do to beat Gordon’s horse on form but if you’re not in you can’t win.
“Once there isn’t an awful lot of rain he’ll be grand. Ground-wise he would prefer it that touch better but he’ll still go on it with a cut in it as he showed in Cheltenham.
“It’s his last run of the season, so why not give it a shot and see? Who knows? It might happen.
“He ran a cracker in Aintree but Olly’s horse went by us. He ran a good, solid race and he’s taking his racing well so we’re in with a shout.”
Joseph O’Brien will be represented by Home By The Lee, who finished just ahead of Buddy One in third at Cheltenham and is a Grade 1 winner having galloped to victory in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown in 2022.
Elliott also saddles Sire Du Berlais, who has won a Cheltenham Stayers’ Hurdle and two Liverpool Hurdles, and was fifth at Cheltenham in March after a delayed comeback.
Gaelic Warrior returns
The other Grade 1 on the card will see Gaelic Warrior also attempting the major festival double in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase, having wowed with his winning effort in the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham.
Trainer Willie Mullins proves three of the four declared, with John Ryan giving Daniel King a dream engagement on Mount Frisco. Hercule Du Seuil and Il Etait Temps complete the line-up with the latter a fascinating contender returning to the minimum trip after finishing third in the Arkle but then shining when stepping up to the intermediate distance at Grade 1 level in Aintree.
Saturday acceptors
Meanwhile, the acceptors for Saturday’s Grade 1s have been confirmed. There are 10 possible runners still in the Ballymore Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle, as the keen-going Triumph Hurdle runner-up Kargese, who also finished second at Aintree, is one of a Willie Mullins sextet on the list.
Jim Bolger has left Eastern Legend in the race he won 34 years ago with the Tommy Carmody-ridden Orbis while the Gavin Cromwell-trained Bottler’secret steps into Grade 1 company for the first time.
The Dragon Pulse juvenile excelled on his hurdling debut in Naas at the end of February, on what was his first run for Cromwell and his jumping improved considerably when cantering to success at Grade 2 level in Fairyhouse at the beginning of the month.
There are nine runners left in the Coolmore Irish EBF Mares’ Champion Hurdle and the Lossiemouth will be a short-priced favourite to complete another double on her return to home soil.
Telmesomethinggirl ran a stormer to chase the Rich Ricci-owned five-year-old home at Cheltenham and her Henry de Bromhead stablemate Hispanic Moon, who was third, could also reoppose. Jetara will represent local legend, Jessica Harrington.
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