1.20 Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors `€50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff` Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m6f

Absolute Notions: One of three in the race for Gordon Elliott, but not the stable’s main hope according to jockey bookings. Last season’s Goffs Land Rover Bumper winner joined Robcour for €370,000 after that Punchestown Festival success and edged out Deep Cave to make a winning hurdles debut at the same venue in November. Open to improvement but stepping up to this trip for the first time is an unknown and he must improve from his latest third at Naas behind Inthepocket.

American Mike: Runner-up to Facile Vega in the 2022 Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival and was one of the leading performers in that sphere last season. Got off to a winning start over hurdles when striking at Down Royal in early November but disappointing on his only appearance since when turned over as 2/7 favourite in Grade 3 company at Navan. Connections reportedly discovered a physical excuse for that performance. Clearly talented but must prove his latest blip was a one-off.

Cool Survivor: Emerged with credit from finishing second to Hiddenvalley Lake in a Grade 3 novice hurdle over three miles at Cork in December but this looks a more demanding assignment. On the plus side, he’s a proven stayer who appears versatile in terms of the ground.

Deep Cave: Untested in a race of this calibre but loads to like about how he improved from his second to Absolute Notions when getting off the mark over hurdles at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival in a maiden hurdle over two and a half miles. Looked a strong stayer when pulling out all the stops to make a winning point-to-point debut so step up to this trip could easily play to his strengths.

Good Land: Delivered an impressive performance to win a maiden hurdle here over two and a half miles at the Christmas Festival. Form of that race let down by runner-up Tag Man, who was beaten 25 lengths on his next start at Fairyhouse, but fourth-placed Embassy Gardens bolted up next time at Thurles. Entitled to be bang there if stamina holds up.

Grangeclare West: Delivered a smart performance to land a Navan maiden hurdle in November and looked a high-class prospect, though doubts raised by disappointing defeat in the Grade 1 Lawlor’s Of Naas Novice Hurdle. Said to have been blowing hard and coughing after that effort so possibly excused for that showing. Not encouraging that Paul Townend has deserted him to ride the stable’s other runner, Quais De Paris.

Quais De Paris: Flagged up by Willie Mullins as a dark horse to follow for this season in his 2022-23 stable tours. Susannah Ricci’s French recruit didn’t win as impressively as his odds of 1/5 suggested he might on his Tramore debut for the champion trainer in an ordinary two-mile maiden hurdle, though there could well be improvement to come as he tackles a longer trip. Must be taken as a positive that Townend has opted to ride this €180,000 purchase over Grangeclare West.

Sandor Clegane: Runner-up to Facile Vega in the Grade 2 Future Stars Bumper on this card 12 months ago will bid to provide trainer Paul Nolan with a second win in this race after Latest Exhibition plundered the same prize in 2020. Ready winner of a Punchestown maiden hurdle last time, though form possibly doesn’t look overly strong. Needs to deliver a career-best effort.

Weveallbeencaught: A welcome British-trained raider from the Nigel Twiston-Davies team. Looks an improving youngster on the basis of his strong-staying Cheltenham maiden hurdle success on New Year’s Day, and that form got a boost when runner-up Rock My Way won the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at the same track last weekend. Difficult to assess how his form stacks up compared to the home team but likely won’t be far away.

Conclusion

Only one of these has managed to achieve more than a maiden hurdle win since switching to this sphere, giving the race a particularly open feel. Good Land has the potential to prove the classiest of these but Deep Cave could be the value each-way play at the prices for Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore. It will suit him well if this race is more of a stamina test than 12 months ago when Minella Cocooner dictated matters from the front.