The triple champion hurdler Istabraq is on target for a Christmas return to action but a specific race aim for the superstar performer has not been finalised.
Leopardstown's December Festival Hurdle, Istabraq's usual festive date up to now, remains the favourite but Aidan O'Brien yesterday reported that the horse also holds an entry in Kempton's Pertemps Christmas Hurdle.
"I would say Leopardstown is more likely but he is also in at Kempton. Both are possibles," O'Brien said.
A pre-Cheltenham trip to Britain would be a departure from the norm for Istabraq but the Kempton race is on the same St Stephen's Day card as the King George VI Chase, where owner JP McManus has the warm ante-post favourite, First Gold.
"Hopefully he will be ready to run at Christmas. He is doing the same as always and so far he seems fine. We never do too much with him before his first run," added O'Brien.
Istabraq was a sensational faller on very heavy ground in last year's Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown and also fell at the last flight in the Shell Champion Hurdle later in the foot-and-mouth interrupted season.
In between, however, he trounced the opposition in the AIG Champion Hurdle and is an 11 to 8 favourite with Powers to win a fourth Smurfit Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
Soft ground is being forecast for Sunday's John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown, where the Gold Cup second favourite, Sackville, is scheduled to head a small but select field in the feature.
"The going is soft at the moment. There is more rain due tonight but the forecast is for it to remain quite settled for the weekend so, touch wood, it won't get any wetter.
"It's not a big field in the Durkan but there is plenty of quality and we will be looking for a big crowd for what is our biggest meeting outside the festival," the Punchestown director of racing Richie Galway said yesterday.
The doubts surrounding Florida Pearl's participation in the Durkan mean that Cashmans now make Sackville their 4 to 7 favourite for the race, with Native Upmanship on 11 to 4 and Rince R∅ a 7 to 2 shot.
There is set to be an Irish runner in Saturday's John Hughes Rehearsal Chase, with Eddie Hales preparing to give Wicked Crack a pre-Welsh National look at Chepstow. The mare, who split Foxchapel King and Florida Pearl at Down Royal last month, will be Hales's first runner at the south Wales track.
The home action today is at Thurles, where the track specialist, Strontium, can get punters off to a winning start in the Glen Chase.
All four of Strontium's career victories have come at Thurles, including a course and distance defeat of the smart Fnan last time out. Clash Of The Gales brings experience to the party and will have to be watched but a greater danger could be the four-in-a-row-seeking Assessed.
Mumaris has a valuable claim taken off his back in the conditions hurdle that could swing things his way while Bennie's Pride, a good fourth behind Jack Owen Jack at Fairyhouse on Sunday, looks a bet in the bumper.
Newmarket 2,000 Guineas winner Golan is to remain in training next season.
