Golden Wonder heads the weights for the €100,000 Ladbrokes Munster National Handicap Chase, the feature race at Limerick next Sunday. 

The Dessie Hughes-trained eight-year-old was second over hurdles at Kilbeggan last time but his form over fences reads very well having already been competitive in the Irish Grand National and the Galway Plate, for which he started joint-favourite this year. Hughes won the race two years ago with Raz De Maree. 

Numerically, Noel Meade is very strongly represented as he is responsible for seven of the 19 remaining entries. Tom Horn was a good winner at Sligo but recent runners-up Cross Appeal, Bose Ikard and Please Talk would also command respect if lining up. 

Shanpallas, a close third behind Your Busy in the Kerry National at Listowel last month, is the sole entry from trainer Charles Byrnes who won the race in 2000 with Super Franky. Arthur Moore won the race with Feathered Gale in 1995 and More Than A Stroll seven years later and he looks set to be represented by the Listowel runner-up Back Off Mate. 

Gordon Elliott could rely on the recent wide-margin Perth winner Raajih to give him his first success in the race, while Tom Mullins could run Klepht, a winner over hurdles at Killarney but down the field in the Kerry National. Usual Smurfer was another to finish well back in the Kerry National but John ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s charge is better judged on earlier outings at Killarney and Galway. 

Earlier in the card the Grade 3 O’Briens Wines Novice Hurdle has attracted a high-class set of entries headed by five contenders in search of a hat-trick of wins. Ask Vic looked like a mare to follow when winning a handicap snugly at the Listowel Festival and will be a leading contender along with Egyptian Warrior for Aidan O’Brien.

The PriceWaterhouseCoopers Rated Steeplechase also looks set to be a competitive affair with entries headed by Kerry National-second Pass The Hat and Seefood for Dessie Hughes, who also has Grade 1 winner Guitar Pete entered on the card.