.Nine horses are declared for the feature on day three of the Punchestown Festival and trainer Gordon Elliott is sufficiently happy with the recovery of his 11-year-old from recent exertions to let him try to complete the Cheltenham-Aintree-Punchestown treble that has never been achieved in the stayers’ hurdle division before.

The teak tough son of Poliglote won for the third time at the Cheltenham Festival with a gutsy effort in the Stayers’ Hurdle last month and then followed up with what by margin of victory, might have seemed an easier success in the Liverpool Hurdle 11 days ago. Mark Walsh rarely looked comfortable on Sire Du Berlais however, but when push quite literally came to shove, his partner galloped up the straight to score in the Merseyside three-miler for the second year in a row.

Elliott also runs Teahupoo, who was a close third in the Cheltenham Stayers’ Hurdle despite having been impeded and fit-again Jordan Gainford takes the mount.

“Sire Du Berlais is a marvellous horse,” said Elliott. “For him to be doing what he’s doing at the age of 11 is incredible. He’s an unbelievable campaigner. He came out of Aintree in good shape and we have decided to let him take his chance.

“Teahupoo is coming here off Cheltenham where he ran really well. He’s established himself now, I think, as one of the best stayers around and you’d like to think, all things being equal he’d be lining up with a leading chance next Thursday.”

Sire Du Berlais finished fourth in the race last year to Klassical Dream, who is looking to join another Willie Mullins star Quevega and the Michael Cunningham-trained Derrymoyle as three-time winners of the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers’ Hurdle, the latter scoring in 1995, 1996 and 1998 and Quevega completing a four-in-a-row from 2010-2013.

Klassical Dream would be triumphant for the third successive year were he to deliver under Paul Townend, and for a fourth time in total at the Punchestown Festival.

Mullins believes that he is the one to beat, even though recent Fairyhouse 1-2 Asterion Forlonge (Patrick Mullins) and Monkfish (Danny Mullins) also line up. That was a second run after a year off for former festival winner Asterion Forlonge, but it was the first in 713 days for former Gold Cup favourite Monkfish. Whatdeawant completes the Mullins quartet.

“Klassical Dream is the one that can go back to Punchestown and win it,” declared Mullins when previewing his options for this race. “We didn’t know whether we were going to make it or not to Cheltenham but we thought his work was good enough. We took our chance. I think you’ll see the real Klassical Dream in Punchestown.

“It’s great to see Asterion Forlonge and Monkfish coming back. Those horses had long breaks and have little turnaround from Fairyhouse to Punchestown and that’s a big negative for me. If they ran a good race, I’d be very happy.”

Last year’s runner-up Ashdale Bob (Keith Donoghue) represents local trainer Jessica Harrington, with Summerville Boy (Rachael Blackmore) a worthy contender for Henry de Bromhead, having beaten Asterion Forlonge on that one’s comeback at Thurles last month. Meet And Greet (Philip Enright) completes the field for Oliver McKernan, who like Harrington, will not be too long on the road travelling to the racecourse.

Willie Mullins will saddle three of the four contenders in the Grade 1 Barberstown Castle Novice Chase, with the well-named Arkle Chase winner, the fabulous El Fabiolo unsurprisingly the selection of Paul Townend. Danny Mullins gets the leg up on the admirable Dysart Dynamo, with Mark Walsh partnering Saint Roi. Mouse Morris has opted to include Indiana Jones and Darragh O’Keeffe rides.

The eight-race card also includes the Grade B Conway Piling Handicap Hurdle, which has attracted a full field of 25 runners, including dual winner of the race, A Great View, who is trained by Denis Cullen and will be ridden by Mark Walsh. Grade 1-winning chasers Beacon Edge (Noel Meade/Liam McKenna) and Master McShee (Paddy Corkery/Ian Power) top the weights, while Walking On Air (Daryl Jacob) represents Nicky Henderson.

Coeur Sublime (Henry de Bromhead/Ben Harvey) and Dinoblue (Willie Mullins/Mark Walsh) head the 14 declarations for the Grade B Pigsback.com Handicap Chase. A dozen will go to post for the Mongey Communications Chase for which the La Touche Cup is presented, with recent winners Enda Bolger and Peter Maher represented by Stealthy Tom (Bolger) and An Droichead Eile and Blast Of Koeman (both Maher) respectively, while Gearoid O’Loughlin’s Space Cadet (Johnny Barry) is another noteworthy contestant.