Thurles preview: Today's Grade Two Michael Purcell Novice Hurdle at Thurles provides a quality contest on the eve of the Cheltenham festival and with others waiting to head across-channel they look to have left a valuable €75,000 pot at the mercy of Mounthenry.

The Charles Byrnes-trained horse has been mixing it with the top novices all season and got a Grade Two reward last time at Punchestown when beating Iktitaf.

Admittedly Iktitaf was found to be injured afterwards but the overall balance of Mounthenry's form would have fully entitled him to a place at Cheltenham. However, the decision to avoid the festival looks like paying dividends here.

Tony McCoy travels from Britain to ride Oscar's Advance in this but the horse has something to prove after a poor last effort while the home based trio of Walsh, Geraghty and Carberry will also be in action.

In fact the latter pair are prepared to go into action in the Beginners' Chase and that looks particularly significant in Carberry's case as he teams up with Billy Bonnie.

A stayer over hurdles, Billy Bonnie hasn't run since August of 2004 but an even longer lay-off didn't stop Noel Meade producing Khetaam to win at Leopardstown on Sunday.

With the likes of Beef Or Salmon on the horizon next week Carberry is also unlikely to chance it on anything that isn't ready for its first chase start.

McCoy's big hope looks like being the McManus runner Line Ball in the two-mile maiden hurdle.

This Punchestown bumper winner should be better for the experience of a third to Finger On the Pulse at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Fingers were burned at Gowran last month when the odds on Scotsirish managed to finish only fourth to Oran Flyer. The Willie Mullins horse looks worth another shot though in the women's bumper.