Petit Mouchoir© Photo Healy Racing
The Willie Mullins wagon steams into Thurles on Thursday where the Champion Trainer can expect a winning day, and while he introduces Shaneshill in the opening beginners' chase, is also strongly represented in three of the other races.
Should Shaneshill oblige in the opening contest, there are likely to be many accumulators running on to Mullins' Petit Mouchoir in the Cahir Maiden Hurdle.
The Gigginstown House Stud owned gelding made winning point-to-point and bumper starts for Mullins' rival trainer Gordon Elliott but, given Gigginstown's peculiar transfer policy of their youngsters, now makes his debut for the Champion Trainer.
Petit Mouchoir's bumper win was gained, for Elliott, in the prestigious and valuable Goffs Landrover Bumper at Punchestown in April, with that form now appearing very solid.
Mullins' Royal Caviar contests the following Holycross Maiden Hurdle and connections of the Ricci-owned gelding will be hoping to make it third time lucky over hurdles. Mullins also runs Limerick bumper winner Haymount in the race with Jim Culloty's 121 rated Crown Of Gold another likely to prove competitive.
Daneking is Mullins' final runner, in the Rock Of Cashel Hurdle but the son of Dylan Thomas is likely to give Mullins' accumulator followers plenty to sweat about, given he was a beaten short-priced favourite on his last two starts.
The Denis Hogan trained Long House Island bids to follow up last week's course and distance win in the Templemore Handicap Hurdle.
Now set to carry a six pounds fixed penalty, the gelding is officially two pounds ahead of the handicapper following that narrow win last week.
