AS WELL as the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, there will be Irish interest in the Saturday feature at Aintree with Tom Taaffe set to run former Cheltenham festival winner Finger Onthe Pulse in the Old Roan Chase.

That will mean a clash with the 2008 Arkle winner Tidal Bay, but Taaffe has confirmed the plan is to run Finger Onthe Pulse.

“He has done well since he came back in and seems to be in good form. It looks a nice race to start off in. We hope he gets nice good ground at Aintree,” the Kildare trainer said of his 2008 Jewson winner.

A trip to Newbury for next month’s Hennessy Gold Cup could also be on the agenda for Taaffe’s Munster National winner Treacle.

“He has been super since Limerick, and either the Troytown at Navan or the Hennessy will be his next target. It will depend on the weights in those races and on the ground,” Taaffe added.

The 2007 Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity is pleasing trainer Rob Hennessy in his build-up to the winter season and is set to reappear in next month’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.

Sublimity was last seen finishing just a short head off Alandi on the flat at Leopardstown in May, and has had a palate operation since.

“Since the operation he has been a completely different horse, much happier in his work, and hopefully he can end up having another crack at the Champion Hurdle,” Hennessy said.

“He has been back in since August 1st, and everything has gone well. His first target will be the Fighting Fifth.

“He was only beaten a head when the race was run at Wetherby last year and hopefully he will have a similar campaign this year.

“Obviously he is a year older, and a lot of good young horses are coming through, like Hurricane Fly, Binocular and Solwhit. But if we can get another Grade One out of him I’ll be delighted,” he added.