Monalee is set to return to action in Sunday’s Grade One €100,000 Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
The exciting novice blotted his copybook at the track over Christmas with a spectacular fall at the tenth fence in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase.
Trainer Henry De Bromhead described the spill as horrific, especially since Monalee was galloped over by a couple of other runners as he was on the ground.
Previously favourite for Cheltenham’s RSA, Monalee’s festival odds subsequently lengthened. However he appears likely to try and restore his reputation at the ‘Dublin Racing Festival’.
De Bromhead said on Monday: “I would say we are leaning towards running on Sunday. It took him a while to get over it [the fall] but he seems good again now.”
The season's leading jockey Davy Russell has ridden Monalee in both his starts over fences but has a number of possible mounts for Sunday's big novice event. De Bromhead said riding arrangements are unclear at the moment. David Mullins rode Monalee in all five of his starts over hurdles.
De Bromhead enjoyed a bumper Christmas festival at Leopardstown and two of his festive winners, Dicey O’Reilly and Paloma Blue, are set to step up into Grade One company at the weekend in the Lacy Partners Hurdle and Deloitte Hurdle respectively.
Another Christmas winner for the Co Waterford trainer, Trainwreck, is also a possible starter in the Deloitte.
Revised ratings
A couple of impressive recent winners will attempt to successfully carry penalties at Punchestown on Tuesday.
Wings Like Arion has a 6lb penalty for winning at Gowran on Thursday but technically still has 5lbs in hand on revised ratings when she lines up for the mares handicap hurdle.
The handicapper reckons the prolific Poormans Hill has 10lbs in hand for a later handicap hurdle after his victory over three miles at Fairyhouse on Saturday.
Willie Mullins has two runners at Tuesday's fixture and amateur rider David Dunsdon can guide his mare Redhotfillypeppers to a first success over flights.
Cut The Mustard’s Irish debut at Limerick over Christmas was disappointing considering she started odds-on after a pair of bumper victories in France.
Gordon Elliott's Moonlight Escape will try to make it third time lucky over flights although the course bumper winner Moyhenna could upset both considering her own previous jumping experience.
Conor O'Dwyer's El Vasco ran okay behind The Storyteller on his second start over fences and may be good enough to win an ordinary looking Beginners Chase.
