The impressive Thyestes Chase winner Monbeg Notorious could try to carry topweight to victory in Sunday's €100,000 Boylesports National Trial at Punchestown.
The Gordon Elliott runner has been given a 13lb hike by the handicapper for his impressive 11 length success at Gowran almost two weeks ago and is top-rated for this weekend's three-and-a-half mile marathon.
"Monbeg Notorious would be a possible runner. He hasn't done much since Gowran Park but seems to be in good form and he is a horse with options so we'll see how he is later in the week," said Elliott. "But the trip and the ground would suit him and it's a very nice prize."
Monbeg Notorious is one of seven entries in the race for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud among 25 remaining in total. He is a 6-1 joint-favourite with Folsom Blue in early betting with the sponsors.
Just half a dozen possibles remain in Saturday’s Naas feature, the Listed BBA Opera Hat Chase, and they include Willie Mullins’s pair, Asthuria and Benie Des Dieux.
The latter was an impressive winner of another Listed contest at Carlisle in early December. Benie Des Dieux is 14-1 in some lists for Cheltenham's Ryanair Chase and is as low as 9-2 for the OLBG Mares Hurdle at the festival.
