Rest of Punchestown preview: Ground conditions on the easy side of good are being predicted for today's Punchestown action which should be ideal for Snowy Morning's chances of going one better than at Cheltenham.
Willie Mullins's star faces an intriguing clash with the brilliant Aintree winner Aces Four in the Ellier Developments Hanover Quay Champion Novice Chase as both horses attempt to escape the shadow of Denman in a Grade One race.
Snowy Morning got within 10 lengths of Denman in the SunAlliance at Cheltenham but it was Aces Four that actually looked to give that hot-favourite most to do until a bad stumble at the third last ruined his chance.
However, Snowy Morning himself was badly hampered at the ninth fence in that race and ultimately did well to get back into it as well as he did.
Since then Aces Four has absolutely bolted up in a Grade Two at Liverpool where Ferdy Murphy's charge looked a real potential top-notcher on the very quick ground. Conditions today however are likely to be different.
"I would expect the ground to ride on the slow side of good, maybe even yielding," said the Punchestown spokesman, Richie Galway yesterday.
"If the forecast is correct, that could be the type of going we have for the four days which would actually help us as we wouldn't have to interfere with watering. If it's incorrect, and we have to water to keep things good, then we will."
Aces Four could well be as good on the surface at Punchestown as he was at Aintree but it's a quick turnaround for a young horse that has to travel from Yorkshire and Snowy Morning has the advantage of being comparatively fresh for a potential first Grade One victory.
Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh will also fancy their chances in the first of the day's three Grade Ones with the shock Cheltenham winner Ebaziyan trying to secure the first leg of a possible festival double in the vcbet champion novice hurdle.
Mullins has already expressed his desire to take on the top senior horses in Friday's ACC Bank Champion with the ex-Aga Khan-owned grey who jumped into the elite class with his 40 to 1 Supreme success last month.
Davy Condon was on board that day but Walsh is back now and it will be fascinating to see if Ebaziyan can confirm his festival form with the likes of Hide The Evidence and De Valira.
The joker in the pack though may be Clopf, rated by his trainer, Edward O'Grady, as being an excellent jumper of hurdles, but whose first run in over four months yielded a recent win on the flat at Tipperary.
That should have put Clopf spot on for this and with the ground conditions not too quick, Barry Geraghty's mount could put it up to Ebaziyan.
O'Grady also looks to have an interesting contender in the handicap hurdle with Grapevine Sally who also ran on the flat last time out and whose winning form during the winter gives her a decent shout off a low weight.
The festival has its traditional opener on the banks course with the DNG Nationwide Ladies Cup over three miles where Enda Bolger is sure to have another big say with John Thomas McNamara scheduled to be on Silver Service. Philip Rothwell's Loggan Lass could also go well.
Aces Four's stable companion Marshall Hall ran a fine race at Liverpool and will be fancied in the two-mile handicap chase where Reisk Superman looks a danger while Nina Carberry teams up with the Noel Meade-trained Lifes Star in the €75,000 Goffs Land Rover Bumper, a race that can often throw up a very good winner.
