YOU would be hard pressed to find many horses yet to run in a graded race with the type of form that Kawaboomga produced last season, so it’s a real pleasure to see him back from a spell on the sidelines in today’s Grade 3 Red Mills Trial Hurdle (1.20) at Gowran Park.

The J.P. McManus-owned six-year-old arrived from France with a big reputation, and he bumped into none other than Kopek Des Bordes on his Irish introduction in a Leopardstown Christmas Festival maiden hurdle last season. Getting within two and three quarter lengths of him on that occasion was a smashing effort.

Kawaboomga then went one place better in a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle a month later, and beat the high-class William Munny in a performance that was said to have been extremely impressive on the clock. Back in third on that occasion was Henry de Bromhead’s subsequent Leopardstown impressive Christmas winner Koktail Divin, while Colm Murphy’s listed-winning mare Zannoosh was fourth.

Having watched Kopek Des Bordes and William Munny finish 1-2 in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, it must have been frustrating for connections to have missed last year’s Cheltenham Festival with injury. He had been as short as 11/2 third favourite for the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at the time of his setback.

Willie Mullins is looking forward to getting him back started at his local track, taking on a field that includes stablemate Storm Heart, former Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Farren Glory and the useful Workahead.

“Kawaboomga has been off for a while but I like him,” said Mullins.

“The timing is obviously very close to Cheltenham after this so he might go here and then on to Aintree, we’ll see what the plan is with him. He just missed a bit of time but hopefully we have him ready for the Red Mills. On testing ground, it can be a tough race.”