JP McManus's star mare Like-A-Butterfly is set to have her first start in almost three months at Cheltenham next week but a surprise switch to the SunAlliance Chase hasn't been ruled out.
Like-A-Butterfly has figured in the ante-post betting for the Arkle Trophy for much of the season despite not having run since Christmas when she pulled up at Leopardstown.
The former AIG winner's blood picture was not right after that but she is back to full health now and will try to follow up her 2002 festival success in the Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices' Hurdle.
"We're more than likely going to run at Cheltenham but we're having second thoughts about the Arkle. It's possible she could go for the SunAlliance over three miles instead," said trainer Christy Roche yesterday. "Her blood is 100 per cent now, everything is 100 per cent and she is as good as I can have her."
Tony McCoy, who rides four of Roche's horses at Naas tomorrow, will be on board Like-A-Butterfly.
Calladine will now miss next week and wait instead for the Powers Irish Grand National but Risk Accessor will take his chance in one of the handicaps and Oscar's Advance is on track to run in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.
Beef Or Salmon completed his final serious workout before next Friday's Totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup when galloping yesterday morning. Afterwards the big Irish hope scoped clean.
Trainer Michael Hourigan reported: "I imagine that will be his last real piece of work before next week. He worked well on the racecourse and scoped clean so everything is fine."
Other prime Cheltenham festival hopes on the gallops yesterday included the Jessica Harrington-trained pair of Moscow Flyer and Macs Joy. Along with the Mildmay of Flete hope Colca Canyon, they worked on the Curragh.
Harrington and her big-race jockey Barry Geraghty will be heavily represented at Downpatrick this afternoon where the ground is reported to have "good to firm" patches on it.
That kind of surface will be a big change for those who have been running recently but Django should be able to get the Harrington-Geraghty team off to a good start in the opening maiden hurdle. A Punchestown second to Teeming Rain reads well now considering that horse's win at Thurles on Thursday.
Pay It Forward is better in with GVA Ireland for three and a half lengths in the novice chase and the Harrington runner may be better suited to the ground.
With Ruby Walsh on duty in Britain, Geraghty steps into the hot seat aboard the hat-trick-seeking No Rows in the handicap hurdle. The course winner is now a stone higher than when winning at Clonmel but still looks to be ahead of the game.
