SUNDAY MEETINGS:WILLIE MULLINS has often used Leopardstown's traditional post-race gallops session to tee up his top prospects for the Cheltenham festival but rarely will the champion trainer have provided a horse that will be the focus of such attention as Mikael D'Haguenet will be tomorrow evening.

It is nearly 10 months since the ex-French star completed a perfect six from six season for Mullins and although a series of problems have prevented Mikael D’Haguenet racing since then he remains as low as 14 to 1 for the Arkle at Cheltenham and 10 to 1 for the RSA.

Mikael D’Haguenet raced over fences in France and schooled satisfactorily over the bigger obstacles after racing at Fairyhouse on Wednesday but he will be viewed by a much greater audience this weekend.

“We toyed with the idea of running him this weekend but decided against it and the intention is to school him after racing on Sunday,” Mullins said yesterday before playing down talk of Cheltenham targets.

“We will see how he gets on before looking further ahead.” Up to 40 horses, many of them Cheltenham bound, will appear at the annual work-outs although ground conditions are likely to be testing.

“We are soft, soft to heavy in places, right now and I can’t see it improving very much,” Leopardstown manager Tom Burke said yesterday.

However, Edward O’Grady has decided if Tranquil Sea is going to jump fences tomorrow it might as well be for prizemoney in the re-scheduled Newlands Chase.

The Paddy Power Gold Cup winner is one of eight lining up for the Grade Two ahead of a tilt at the Ryanair Chase and Andrew McNamara will be on board.

No doubt O’Grady’s stable jockey will be keeping an eye on his Grand National mount Ballyholland in the same event while Aran Concerto still holds a Cheltenham Gold Cup entry.

However, for many this will be mostly significant for Tranquil Sea, who is a general 6 to 1 shot for the Ryanair and whose readiness must be reasonably assured so close to the festival itself.

Citizen Vic is already a Grade One winner this season and returns to Leopardstown for the novice chase where he looks well in at the conditions while the Champion Hurdle outsider Won In The Dark is rated to score again in the Ballsbridge Hurdle.

Green Mining found Mr Clyde too good at Fairyhouse on his last start but looks good for the second maiden hurdle at Clonmel while Barcardero, quoted in some lists for the National Hunt Chase, could land the Opportunity Chase.