Death Duty reappears after 758 days on the sidelines© Photo Healy Racing
A high class field of seven runners have been declared for tomorrow afternoon's Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park.
The runners are headed up by a pair of star mares in Apple's Jade and Benie Des Dieux.
The pair have met twice before at the 2018 Cheltenham and Punchestown Festivals when both encounters were won by the Ricci owned Benie Des Dieux. Those two races were over the intermediate distance of 2m4f while tomorrow's contest will be run over 3 miles.
Apple's Jade is likely to hold a fitness edge over her rival this time as she had already had three runs this season including a last time out victory over the distance in the Grade 1 Frank Ward Memorial Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Benie Des Dieux has not raced since winning in France in the middle of May.
Willie Mullins who trains Benie Des Dieux also saddles dual Cheltenham scorer Penhill and the eleven-year-old Killultagh Vic.
Apple's Jade's trainer Gordon Elliott has an intriguing second string to his bow in the long-absent Death Duty. The Gigginstown House Stud owned nine-year-old hasn't been seen since falling in a Grade 1 Novice Chase at Leopardstown at the end of 2017.
The line up is completed by Joseph O'Brien's Gardens Of Babylon and the Martin Hassett trained Mary Frances.
