4.15 Tuesday - Bective Stud Champion Novice Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m

State Man

At the start of what could be another Grade 1 bonanza for Willie Mullins, the champion trainer looks to have an ideal candidate in State Man to land the week’s first top-level event.

In a race that his trainer has only failed to win twice since 2013, the County Hurdle winner looks a standout.

After coming to grief on his Irish debut at Christmas, the five-year-old then got off the mark in the comparatively low-key surrounds of a maiden in Limerick in early February and the form of that race now looks quite useful.

Even better was to come at Cheltenham where State Man justified favouritism in style in the County Hurdle. After settling well off the pace he cruised through to lead before the last and it was striking how easily this comparatively inexperienced type dispatched a field of high-class handicappers.

That performance suggested State Man was a Grade 1 winner in waiting, and he is likely to take a good deal of beating here.

4.50 Tuesday - Killashee Hotel Handicap Hurdle (Grade B) 2m

Hms Seahorse

This former Ballydoyle inmate has made up into a useful juvenile hurdler for Paul Nolan this season and the evidence supplied by his four runs over hurdles to date would suggest that a race like this could be within his reach.

On his most recent outing, Hms Seahorse contested the Fred Winter at Cheltenham and he probably wasn’t done any favours by a fairly chaotic false start which saw him jump a hurdle before the field were recalled.

To his credit though, he was still able to post a good effort when the race itself got underway to eventually be beaten just over three and a half lengths into fourth by Brazil.

That run alone points to his capacity to secure a decent handicap prize, while his initial maiden hurdle efforts, which yielded placings behind Pied Piper and The Tide Turns in maidens at Punchestown, were also encouraging.

In terms of age and experience he is at something of a disadvantage with Tuesday’s rivals but that shouldn’t prevent him from playing a leading role.

4.15 Wednesday - Connolly’s Red Mills EBF Auction Hurdle Final 2m 3f 180yds

Freedom To Dream

This very useful and lightly raced seven-year-old looks an appealing candidate for the final of this season’s auction hurdle series.

A series of solid runs on a variety of ground types over the course of the season make him a compelling contender while a look back at his earlier form reveals that he ran an excellent second to Appreciate It in a Leopardstown bumper back in December 2019.

Of more immediate relevance is this gelding’s effort in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham where he was beaten less than four lengths into fourth by Banbridge.

His previous fourth to Minella Cocooner in a Grade 1 at Leopardstown represents another good effort while another run to take note of was his maiden hurdle win at this track in November.

On that occasion he defeated one of Wednesday’s rivals, Sams Choice, while those in behind included the subsequent maiden hurdle winner Life In The Park and the high-class bumper horse Hunters Yarn. There is lots to like about his prospects.

5.25 Thursday - Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) 3m

Sire Du Berlais

For much of this season it appeared as though the sun may have set on Sire Du Berlais’ chances of bagging a Grade 1 success.

However, a revelatory effort was in the offing at Aintree earlier this month where he turned up in the form of his life to lower the colours of the Cheltenham hero Flooring Porter with the pair finishing some 20 lengths clear of the remainder.

On that evidence the Gordon Elliott inmate remains a player at the top level in this discipline and he is put forward in the hope that he can make it back-to-back Grade 1 victories.

The dual Pertemps Final hero has put together a string of decent efforts in top company over the last couple of seasons with his only disappointment in Grade 1 company coming at Leopardstown over Christmas when he pulled up behind Klassical Dream.

The latter was hugely impressive in this race last year and will represent a formidable opponent. but defeats in the Galmoy Hurdle and at Cheltenham point to the fact that he is vulnerable.

4.15 Friday - EMS Copiers Novice Handicap Chase (Grade A) 2m 5f

Lifetime Ambition

Jessica Harrington’s fine Punchestown record features a particularly strong run of success in this well-endowed prize having sent out five winners of the race since 2005 and in Lifetime Ambition, she has a strong candidate for this year’s edition.

This gelding rounded off last season in great style when running out a wide-margin winner of a conditions hurdle at this meeting and he began life over fences with a really taking victory in a smart beginners’ chase at Down Royal in late October where he defeated the subsequent Grade 1 scorer Beacon Edge.

He then lost his way somewhat but bounced back at Limerick a month ago to win a three-mile Grade 3 chase in good style.

Quite possibly there is more to come from him and he might just be a horse who doesn’t excel through the winter months, which definitely looked to be the case last season.

Friday’s assignment is usually a particularly competitive affair, but this seven-year-old is a graded-class performer with more to give and the fact he produced his best effort over hurdles at this meeting last year adds to his appeal.