JOSEPH O’Brien is flying the flag for Ireland as the only visiting runner in today’s £125,000 Support The Hunt Family Fund December Gold Cup (1.50) at Cheltenham, but two smaller Irish operations are also preparing British raids of their own this afternoon.

Co Wexford-based James Kenny could make the perfect start to his training career in today’s Listed bet365 Doncaster Mares’ Hurdle (2.40) if flagbearing mare World Of Fortunes can maintain her 100% strike rate at Doncaster (won a listed hurdle here in March).

Having played a big part in his father Liam’s training successes under rules and on the point-to-point circuit, James has recently taken out a training licence of his own, with World Of Fortunes switching to his name and targeting more blacktype.

Owner Michael Broderick’s star mare is already a six-time winner - and a dual listed scorer - yet connections are realistic about the stature of the challenge that lies in store. She is technically 6lb wrong at the weights with Dan Skelton’s Kateira, a Grade 1-placed Aintree Festival winner who has been priced up as the 4/6 favourite after declarations.

The Irish challenger, who will be partnered by regular rider Jordan Gainford, has been installed at 7/2.

James Kenny told The Irish Field: “She’s is a course-and-distance winner, so you’d hope that’s a positive for her, but we’re probably up against it taking on Dan Skelton’s good mare. Our mare is generally reliable to run her race, though. She didn’t take to fences when we tried that before, but otherwise she’s been mostly consistent.

“I think her favourite ground is probably good-to-yielding, and it never seems to get too heavy at Doncaster. If it was a bit easier, maybe that’d bring our stamina into play against the Skelton mare.

“It’s great to have a mare like her. She’ll actually be only my second ever runner since I took out the licence to train. I rode as an amateur for seven or eight years and for the last three years I’ve been helping Dad with the horses. We’d probably be traders as opposed to trainers; we’ve got around 20 point-to-pointers and two for the track. It’d be great if she could run well for us over there.”

Nebula’s return

Another Irish filly returning to the scene of the crime in Britain is the Andrew Kinirons-trained Lagoon Nebula, who might be somewhat overpriced at early odds of 18/1 in the £35,000 BetMGM Mares’ Handicap Hurdle (3.35) at Cheltenham.

Bought for just €6,000 at last year’s Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale, the Ulysses four-year-old gave the Stay Wut Her Jonny Syndicate a day to remember when well placed to land a Grade 3 juvenile fillies’ handicap hurdle at this track in April.

Since then, the Niarchos-bred filly has stacked some solid flat handicap runs together and now returns to the Cotswolds for another pot (this time under Sam Twiston-Davies).

“She handles the track and I think she likes nice-ish ground; the New Course should be fresh and that will suit,” Kinirons told The Irish Field.

“This will actually be her first start over hurdles since she won the Grade 3 there in April, and she’s been on the flat since, but I think she’s improved in the meantime. She seems in great form and I think her jumping has gotten better. That was her handicap debut when she won at Cheltenham, so you’d be hoping there could be more to come.

“We’re stepping up [to an extended two and a half miles] for the first time. She stays pretty well on the flat so I’m hopeful she’ll get the trip. She’s got a nice weight [10st 2lb, though technically 2lb out of the handicap] and we’re really looking forward to running her. It was a great pot to win in April and this looks like another nice race.”

Also among the Irish in Britain this weekend is Tony Mullins’ recent Naas winner Letos in a Pertemps Final qualifier (1.40) at Carlisle tomorrow.