3:40 KFM HUNTERS CHASE

Shin A Vee is bidding to win this race for the second year in a row but he hasn’t run since he won here last year and is coming back as a 14-year-old trying to give weight to the whole field.

ENNISKILLEN is the solid option. He is following the same route he did at this festival last season, having ran in the banks race on Tuesday and then showing up for this race. He finished second in both races last year but he has won the first target this time around and would seem to have a great chance of going one better in this race as well. He will team up with the in-form Jamie Codd again and he looks like the one to beat with impressive Bellurgan point-to-point winner Pass The Ball possibly giving him the most to do.

Das Mooser hasn’t been seen in just under a year but he won impressively at Ballingarry on that occasion and he could play a part here as well.

SELECTION: CHAPTER TWO NEXT BEST: PASS THE BALL LONGSHOT: DAS MOOSER

4:20 EMS COPIERS NOVICE HANDICAP CHASE

Diamond King disappointed favourite backers at Cheltenham but he did have his excuses as he made a very bad mistake, then was hampered and was never travelling thereafter. The suspicion is that he has a good handicap chase in him off this mark and on this sort of ground but he is something of a risky proposition. Balko Des Flos seemed to be travelling well enough before he fell in the JLT Chase at Cheltenham and he is interesting here off a mark of 143 while Woodland Opera won in really good style for Jessica Harrington last time and has the potential to improve.

But lots of these have big potential to improve, none more so than Liz Doyle’s LAST GOODBYE, a six-year-old due to have only his fifth start over fences. The son of Millenary ran a cracker to finish fifth in the Close Brothers Handicap Chase at Cheltenham and he could have finished a lot closer had he not met interference on the run in. The form of that race has worked out really well with Two Taffs winning a good handicap chase at Aintree and Double W’s and Bun Doran finishing first and third in another good handicap chase at the same meeting.

Kilcarry Bridge is an exposed chaser, but he is not to be underestimated for trainer John Ryan. He has run really well on each of his last two starts and could easily do the same here at a big price.

SELECTION: LAST GOODBYE NEXT BEST: BALKO DES FLOS LONGSHOT: KILCARRY BRIDGE

Definite Ruby has a big chance of winning the mares' handicap chase for the second year running

4:55 HANLON CONCRETE EBF GLENCARRAIG LADY MARES HANDICAP CHASE

DEFINITE RUBY looks like a really solid option for this. She won the race for Jack Kennedy and Gordon Elliott last season and returns off just a 4lb higher mark. She won over hurdles here earlier in the season and then ran well to finish fourth in the Ulster National at Downpatrick. It’s likely this race has been her target all season and she is sure to be in the thick of things again.

There are some classy mares like Rock Of The Moor, Slowmotion and Keppols Queen towards the head of the weights. The last-mentioned is a really consistent mare and may well be able to turn the tables with Slowmotion on their Fairyhouse running, given a 3lb pull at the weights. Harrington is also represented by Girly Girl, who ran third to Slowmotion and Keppols Queen at Fairyhouse and she also gets a significant pull at the weights. It looks like the daughter of Golan has got her jumping together after two consecutive falls and she has scope to improve now, with Robbie Power taking the ride.

Emcon disappointed last time but would come into this on the form of her second to Mr Diablo at Leopardstown on her penultimate start. She could go well with Davy Russell taking the ride.

SELECTION: DEFINITE RUBY NEXT BEST: GIRLY GIRL LONGSHOT: EMCON

5:30 BETDAQ PUNCHESTOWN CHAMPION HURDLE

VROUM VROUM MAG returns to try and win this race for the second year in a row and significantly, is the choice of Ruby Walsh, who has picked her over County Hurdle winner Arctic Fire. That is a big positive for Susannah Ricci-owned mare as it suggests preparation for this race has gone better than it had for Cheltenham, where she was overlooked by Walsh, but still ran a fine race to finish second to Apple’s Jade.

Arctic Fire put in a huge effort to win at Cheltenham when he was having his first run of the season and it cannot have been an easy decision for Walsh. Petit Mouchoir has progressed into the top bracket of hurdlers this season which was highlighted by an excellent run in the Champion Hurdle, where he finished third. He was narrowly beaten in a Grade 1 at this meeting last season so has to be another big player here.

Nicky Henderson adds dimension to the race with Brain Power and My Tent Or Yours, while it would be very interesting if Labaik decides to jump off. He wouldn’t be without a chance if he did. Diakali was the other interesting horse at a big price. He threatened to be top class at one stage in his career but has had bad luck with injuries. However he looked like he might be back to something near his best after a 20-length win at Fairyhouse.

SELECTION: VROUM VROUM MAG NEXT BEST: ARCTIC FIRE LONGSHOT: DIAKALI

Finian's Oscar will take all the beating in the Tattersalls Ireland Champion Novice Hurdle

6:05 TATTERSALLS IRELAND CHAMPION NOVICE HURDLE

This looks like the best novice race of the week with four Grade 1 winners turning up. And for all that the race does not lack for depth of quality, it still holds a really solid favourite in FINIAN'S OSCAR representing the red-hot Robbie Power, Colin Tizzard, Ann and Alan Potts team.

The son of Oscar looked really good at Aintree, racing greenly in the first half of the race before acting more professional at the business end. It was only his fourth start over hurdles and he gave the impression that there was a lot more to come, while also proving he can handle a decent surface. That cannot be said of Death Duty, whose wins have all come on a soft surface and who has something to prove now after a poor run at Cheltenham. Let’s Dance comes right into this with her 7lb allowance but she has a had a very long season and she might just be over the hill now.

Bleu Berry is an outsider of note. He has won his last three races and gives the impression that he is a horse who only just does enough. He could run into the money at a double-figure price.

SELECTION: FINIAN’S OSCAR NEXT BEST: LET’S DANCE LONGSHOT: BLEU BERRY

6:40 STAR BEST FOR RACING COVERAGE CHAMPION HUNTER CHASE

A race that looks more open than it has in the previous two years, owing to the dip in form of On The Fringe, who didn’t look his best at Cheltenham and then was pulled up at Aintree.

Enda Bolger’s horse will still have his supporters here but it may pay to have a look beyond him. There are a number of point-to-point horses coming into this in cracking form, none more so than MINELLA FOR VALUE and Maple Mons. The latter-mentioned scored impressively at Fairyhouse on his most recent run but slight preference is for the former, Declan Queally’s runner, who ran very well to finish sixth in the Foxhunter at Cheltenham and has confirmed his wellbeing by winning two points since.

Sir Des Champs is not the horse he once was but he is returning to the scene of two of his Grade 1 wins and he could resparkle some interest.

SELECTION: MINELLA FOR VALUE NEXT BEST: MAPLE MONS LONGSHOT: SIR DES CHAMPS

7:10 DONOHUE MARQUEES NOVICE HURDLE

A race with novice hurdlers that look just short of the top level. Willie Mullins holds a strong hand with four of the 10 runners, three of which will carry the pink silks of Susannah Ricci. Montalbano and RIVEN LIGHT look the ones to concentrate on and there isn’t much to split that pair on their running behind Bleu Berry at Fairyhouse where they finished third and fourth respectively. They also hold very similar profiles; having been recruited from France and having produced their best run last time out. Slight preference is for Riven Light, who travelled really well at Fairyhouse and who may appreciate the better ground.

Castlegrace Paddy is another to note and so is Chirico Vallis, who was an exciting horse at the beginning of the season but has failed to live up to expectations. He might be worth another chance, racing on good ground for the first time this term.

SELECTION: RIVEN LIGHT NEXT BEST: MONTALBANO LONGSHOT: CHIRICO VALLIS

7:45 GVA DONAL O’BUACHALLA PROPERTY ADVISORS FLAT RACE

BEYOND THE LAW showed promise on his first track start, finishing second to Minellafordollars at Navan. If he can build on that effort, he will take all the beating here.

Warthog is an interesting runner for David Pipe, who has booked Patrick Mullins to ride. He finished second in a bumper at Chepstow and can be expected to build on that here. Patricia Hunt and Noel Meade are represented by two runners here, Greco Romain and Moyross. The former hasn’t been seen in 474 days but did finish second to Sutton Place in a bumper on that occasion while Moyross has some fair bumper form to his name as well, having finished close to the likes of Carter McKay and Paloma Blue.

Flemenskill is another interesting British raider, representing Warren Greatrex. He has run well to finish third and second on his only two starts and Greatrex has secured the services of the in-form Barry O’Neill.

SELECTION: BEYOND THE LAW NEXT BEST: MOYROSS LONGSHOT: FLEMENSKILL