Limestone Lad takes the first step back into familiar territory at Naas today when just four opponents will threaten his position as the new favourite for Cheltenham's Stayers Hurdle.
The chasing career of one of Ireland's most popular and high profile racehorses has been postponed since early December and today's Bank Of Ireland Hurdle is the first of two races over the smaller obstacles which will decide if he will return to the festival in March for another crack at the Stayers championship.
The bookmakers already believe he will and with the likelihood of the French horse Barracouda running in the SunAlliance Hurdle, Limestone Lad is now the new 5 to 1 favourite with Paddy Power for the Stayers.
The nine-year-old's trainer Michael Bowe is looking to this race and the Boyne Hurdle at Navan next month to convince himself they are right and he isn't as worried about the relative lack of activity of his stable star as he might have been last season.
"As he gets older the easier it seems to keep him in tune and I don't expect the long break to be as much of a worry as it might have been last year. He needs to get back to business and he is bucking and squealing at the moment," said Bowe, son of permit holder James Bowe.
If anyone had been looking for a chink in Limestone Lad's armour they might have been banking on the break to beat him instead of any of the opposition who appear outclassed. However, Limestone Lad has been kept busy on Tom Foley's all-weather gallop where another hugely popular runner Danoli once reigned.
"We're very grateful to Tom and while the horse will improve for the run, I suppose he should be up to winning this race," Bowe said of his runner who earned a 162 rating from a wonderful 1999-2000 season which saw him beat Istabraq and just lose out at Cheltenham by a neck to Bacchanal.
The latter is a 10 to 3 SunAlliance Chase favourite this term but the home team will be hoping Sackville uses the novices chase to cement his current 6 to 1 position as one of Ireland's main potential challengers to Bacchanal.
Sackville may not relish the soft ground but he is miles clear of today's field on proven form and can complete a double for the reigning champion jockey Barry Geraghty.
The champion is on the 51 winner mark this season, 10 behind the leader Ruby Walsh, but looks to have picked up another
good ride in the opener on Takagi who was a 20-length bumper scorer at Gowran last time out.
Timber King caught a lot of eyes as a useful prospect when easily beating the subsequent winner Janidou at Leopardstown over Christmas and looks a reasonable bet to follow up for Christy Roche in the Racing Writers Novice Hurdle while Supreme Touch's chance in the bumper was advertised by Cotton Picker at Gowran on Thursday.
Florida Pearl is set to return to action in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday week.
The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old finished a 10length second to Francois Doumen's First Gold in the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on St Stephen's Day on his last racecourse appearance and has been rested since.
However, Florida Pearl is back in full work now as he prepares to win the Leopardstown contest for the third year in succession. "He's on course for the Hennessy," Mullins said yesterday. Mullins has entered Florida Pearl in the Martell Grand National and he added: "Aintree wouldn't be part of the plan. I put him in the National just in case."
