1.30 Concept Colours Noel Byrne Memorial Rated Novice Chase 2m 180yd

Pure Steel looks to have plenty in his favour as he seeks a second course success. Over a trip close to this, and in testing conditions, he was a taking winner of a similar race here in November when readily seeing off Coral River. The six-year-old drops back in trip after failing to figure behind Kappa Jy Pyke and subsequent scorer Jacob’s Ladder in a Grade 3 novice chase here a month ago.

His earlier winning turn looks to give him the beating of I Am Lorenzo, who also got the better of Coral River when scoring on his chasing bow at Fairyhouse. While up in grade for this, he could be a bigger danger to the selection ahead of Relieved Of Duties, another Fairyhouse beginners’ chase winner. His success in October came on yielding ground and, while he ran a big race on good to soft at Cheltenham next time, he did appear to struggle in conditions more similar to today’s when tried at Grade 3 level here in November, his most recent start.

SELECTION: PURE STEEL

Next best: I Am Lorenzo

2.00 1xbet.ie Beginners Chase 2m 6f 205yd

Willie Mullins runs three of the seven here and Paul Townend’s mount Kiss Will might just be good enough. He shaped up well behind the Naas novice chase winner Flicker Of Hope at Fairyhouse in November, his first start in seven months, but was outclassed when a moderate second behind Cheltenham Festival fancy Koktail Divin at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Shuffle The Deck was four lengths further back in third place on that occasion and perhaps the pair will be up to fighting this out. The Punchestown Festival bumper winner Soldier In Milan skipped a hurdling career to go straight over fences. He was pulled up on his chasing debut behind Koktail Divin at Leopardstown but fared far better when a close fourth behind a trio of Willie Mullins runners, headed by C’est Ta Chance, at Gowran Park a little over three weeks ago.

SELECTION: KISS WILL

Next best: Shuffle The Deck

2.30 1xbet.ie Grand National

Trial Handicap Chase (Listed) 3m 3f 60yd

Uncle Pat gave his rider no chance of staying in the saddle when all but running out at the fifth fence in a big handicap chase at the DRF, but he should be given a chance to make amends. His run at Limerick over Christmas gets him onto the short-list in a wide-open contest, everything about his effort behind Ballybawn Belter, and the best of his earlier form, suggests that he will be better over this longer distance.

The Lovely Man is on a hat-trick of wins after a handicap chase success at Navan in December and a handicap hurdle win at Gowran Park last month. Another arriving here with recent winning form is Lucky Lyreen, who just got the better of today’s rival Born Braver when scoring at Down Royal, also last month. They too have an obvious chance and perhaps the same can be said for two horses at opposite ends of the weights, Patter Merchant and Koori Star, both having their first start in a handicap chase.

SELECTION: UNCLE PAT

Next best: The Lovely Man

3.00 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sheila Bourke Novice Hurdle (Listed) 1m 7f 165yd

Lazare De Star can add to his taking maiden hurdle success at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. His bid to follow up on that win just came up short at Navan last month when he was run out of it late on, having led early in the straight, by this afternoon’s rival Zeus Power. Gordon Elliott’s charge is now 5lb better off at the weights and that should be more than enough for him to gain revenge on the Joseph O’Brien-trained five-year-old, who had previously scored a runaway maiden hurdle victory at Thurles in the week before Christmas.

Runner-up in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival last year, Heads Up opened his account over hurdles at Listowel in September and, while showing up well behind No Drama This End in a Grade 2 novices’ hurdle at Cheltenham in November, he was off the pace in a similar race at the same course last month. He comes back in distance for this.

SELECTION: LAZARE DE STAR

Next best: Zeus Power

3.32 EVAD Technology Group Maiden Hurdle 2m 3f 104yd

Dani Donadoni was soundly beaten in a maiden hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas, but he had looked to have run a much better race when runner-up to his nearest market rival Lord Rouge at Cork a few weeks earlier. A repeat of that effort, which came on very testing ground on his first start in seven months, would surely see him home in front now.

The selection’s one-time stable companion Ksar Fatal starts out for Barry Connell. The six-year-old won a bumper for Willie Mullins at Gowran Park in March of last year and now goes jumping for the first time on his first outing since the Punchestown Festival. Panjandrum was reported to have burst a blood vessel when pulled up on his hurdling debut at Limerick’s Christmas meeting, but he’s probably better judged on earlier bumper outings at Clonmel and Navan late last year. Pat’s Legacy found only one too good for him in an unplaced maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse and he certainly has prospects of reaching the frame once again.

SELECTION: DANI DONADONI

Next best: Ksar Fatal

4.02 David Trundley Artist At Punchestown Novice Handicap Hurdle 2m 6f 148yd

Although more exposed than many of his rivals, Sean Mc can gain a deserved success on the back of two runner-up finishes. He went well when second to all-the-way winner and subsequent scorer Run For Cover at Fairyhouse in mid-December and again when just losing out to Mojoe here in December. He’s in on the bottom weight and the step up in distance should also be to his advantage.

Not too far above him in the handicap is Nettuno Italia, who scored a more than comfortable win over a trip close to today’s here three weeks ago. There wasn’t much between Kir and From The Ashes when both ran well over a longer distance than this at Limerick over Christmas. The latter went on to win at Fairyhouse. Gorvitho is among those having his first start in a handicap hurdle. He was in action for the first time since July of last year when a moderate fifth behind his own stable companion King Of Aces at Clonmel early last month and could show more this time.

SELECTION: SEAN MC

Next best: Nettuno Italia

4.32 Join Racing TV Now (Pro/Am) INH Flat Race 1m 7f 165yd

Heldam was a point-to-point scorer at Punchestown this time last year and is taken to open his account under rules at the second time of asking. Sent off a warm favourite for the bumper at Leopardstown on St Stephen’s Day, he raced up with the pace until fading approaching the straight to finish sixth behind promising winner The Mourne Rambler.

He is taken to improve on that performance and is preferred to racecourse debutant Soul Asylum, who narrowly missed out on winning a point-to-point at Dromahane in November and starts off for Gordon Elliott. Begorra Man was a well-fancied runner-up when this race was run on a rearranged date last year and is on the comeback trail. He hasn’t run since then and might have it all to do on his return.

SELECTION: HELDAM

Next best: Soul Asylum