The Grand National winner, Bobbyjo, is set to have his second start of this season over the same course and distance as his first. Trainer Tommy Carberry reported yesterday there is "every likelihood" of Bobbyjo running in Sunday's Sutherland River Handicap Hurdle over two and a half miles at Fairyhouse. The horse finished ninth in his first race there this term in mid-January.

Bobbyjo also has entries at Thurles tomorrow and Naas on Saturday, but Carberry, who also reported his son, Paul, as being ready for action at Thurles, said: "It looks like being Fairyhouse. The forecast is for dry enough weather this week and two and a half miles over hurdles shouldn't be too bad for him."

He added: "He had a nice school at Punchestown recently and went in a schooling hurdle, too, but a run will do him no harm. He's also in a chase at Leopardstown the following weekend which might come a bit quick, but we'll see if he needs it. He's in good form."

The weekend ground looks like providing more headaches for Carberry's fellow Co Meath trainer Noel Meade.

His Royal & SunAlliance Hurdle candidate Oa Baldixe is an intended runner in Naas's Johnstown Hurdle, but Meade said yesterday: "I don't want him to have a hard slog of a race in bottomless ground. If the ground turns very bad he'll have a racecourse workout and go straight to Cheltenham."

One Meade-trained horse who will go straight to the festival is the Queen Mother Champion Chase candidate, Hill Society, who will miss out on a clash with Danoli in Saturday's Newlands Chase.

"He worked that well this morning, and he always runs well fresh, that I don't think he'll go at Naas," Meade added.

Danoli's trainer Tom Foley expressed the hope for loose ground at Naas, but if the veteran Gold Cup possible does take his chance, he will have to contend with Mouse Morris's Cathcart hope, His Song.