The most valuable of the three Grade One races at Fairyhouse today is the £85,000 Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle, but there is no doubting Limestone Lad's status as the afternoon's star.

The will-he-won't-he run drama surrounding an injured foot was finally resolved yesterday morning, but it was a late decision that left the man closest to Limestone Lad admitting "it's a far from an ideal preparation".

Michael Bowe, the son of the owner and permit holder James Bowe, has been agonising for a week over the stone bruise that hit one of Limestone Lad's back feet at just the wrong time.

"I know at the weekend I was adamant he wouldn't run, but I had to be because the horse had been standing in his box for four days, " Bowe said yesterday. "But once the poultice started in and the infection broke the problem was almost solved overnight."

"He had three good blows up the hill on Monday and light exercise since, but we only finally made the decision this morning to run. He will definitely be a bit short but a horse can't be 100 per cent all the time. We just hope he does himself justice," Bowe added.

There are nine ranged against Limestone Lad, who will relish the dig in the ground, and at his best has 17lb in hand on official ratings. The question, however, must be if Limestone Lad can be at his best after more than two months off the track.

His main opponent looks to be the Christy Roche-trained Bannow Bay, who is also coming off a long break since winning on heavy ground at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting. Despite that heavy ground success, however Roche, said yesterday he had been looking for good going for his horse.

Two of the last three renewals of the juvenile hurdle have been won by British-trained horses and the suspicion yesterday was that this afternoon's field could have been assembled for a much smaller prize-money pot than is on offer.

The other suspicion yesterday was that the fitness and form being shown by the Frances Crowley string could give a good chance of a major pay day to Golden Storm, who came good at Navan in February.

The Swordlestown Cup was landed by the Cheltenham Arkle winner, Tiutchev, at Punchestown last season, and while there is no obvious candidate of that class this time around, the ground should be suitable for the Arthur Moore-trained Well Ridden, who ran off Sackville last time.

Moore and jockey Conor O'Dwyer also look to have reasonable prospects in the novice chase with Outlook Good.