It's a multiple Grade Two racing weekend in Ireland and Black Hercules could be best poised to dispel any second-division suspicions about its Cheltenham implications at Navan on Sunday.
The Willie Mullins-trained novice is currently a 7-2 favourite for the four-mile National Hunt Chase at next month’s festival and an authoritative victory in the Ten Up Novice Chase would look to set him up perfectly for that amateur contest.
This Sunday's race, named after the 1975 Gold Cup hero, is one of a trio of Grade Two contests on the Navan card, a programme which, ahead of the following Sunday's Naas fixture, is something of a last-chance saloon in terms of horses earning Cheltenham tickets.
Nevertheless, all three have little recent pedigree in terms of throwing up Cheltenham winners with Dorans Pride all of 21 years ago the last Ladbrokes Boyne Hurdle winner to graduate to World Hurdle success.
Black Hercules has twice been to Cheltenham already in his career, running an honourable fourth in the 2014 Champion Bumper but proving a disappointing favourite in last year's Albert Bartlett.
He holds a couple of other festival entries, including the RSA, but Mullins is clearly keen to get more experience into a horse who has always been highly rated at Closutton.
Chasing debut
Impressive in his chasing debut at Navan in December,
Black Hercules
had no problem stepping up to three miles at Warwick a month ago. A clash with Monksland links up the best Irish novice form this season and should he impress on Sunday speculation about a third festival trip might primarily revolve around which race to go for in March.
His stable companion Sambremont is a 16-1 shot in some lists for the Cheltenham four-miler but he goes for the two-mile Flyingbolt Novice Chase, a three runner contest that looks at the mercy of the 151-rated Ttebbob.
The course and distance winner flopped behind Douvan at Christmas but should prove much too quick for Sambremont and Tell Us More.
Bryan Cooper has picked Dedigout from a Gigginstown Stud trio that dominate the Boyne Hurdle, a significant move considering Prince Of Scars won a Grade One at Christmas, and Lieutenant Colonel won a pair of top-flight races last season. Dedigout will relish very testing ground and holds an edge on official ratings though it's hard to ignore Prince Of Scars' progression which saw him upset Alpha Des Obeaux at Leopardstown.
Former top jockey Andrew McNamara saddles his first runner as a trainer with the Andrew Heffernan-owned Val de Ferbet, a Grade Two winner over fences when trained by Willie Mullins, who hasn't run since last summer's French Champion Hurdle.
Fit enough
“He’s a very exciting horse to get. Andy rang me out of the blue and I’m delighted to have him,” McNamara said. “He’s plenty fit enough to run a good race and the ground shouldn’t be a problem.”
There will plenty Cheltenham interest in the handicap hurdle although through a cross-country prism as Enda Bolger’s top-two in ante-post betting for the Day Two festival event, Josies Orders and Quantitativeeasing, warm up for the festival over smaller obstacles.
Nickname Exit has a Cheltenham entry of his own in the four-miler but he’s back to the course where he sluiced up over fences before Christmas, except this time he reverts again to hurdles. Nickname Exit was beaten over flights on New Year’s Day but drops slightly in trip this time and carries first-time blinkers.
