PUNCHESTOWN PREVIEW:DUNGUIB AND his jockey Brian O'Connell may dominate the build up to today's Rabobank Champion Hurdle but the tried and trusted formula of relying on Punjabi around Punchestown can ultimately pay off.

Winner of this race in 2008, as well as the Grade One novice in 2007, Punjabi failed by just a short head to Solwhit last year.

His trainer Nicky Henderson said yesterday he is relying on Punjabi’s liking for Punchestown to enable him bounce back from a lacklustre effort to defend his Champion Hurdle title at Cheltenham last month. Since then the horse has had a minor breathing operation after making a noise during that run behind Binocular.

“I’d love to see him bounce back after Cheltenham,” Henderson said yesterday. “He’s always loved it at Punchestown, and won this race two years ago.”

It’s a reflection of the reverberations from Dunguib’s surprise loss of his unbeaten jumps record at Cheltenham that even the prospect of another Punjabi-Solwhit clash, and the return to action of Hurricane Fly, have to take secondary roles in the pre-race build up. The Philip Fenton team were leaning towards running in this race pre-Cheltenham when it seemed Dunguib would have nothing left to prove in novice class but they are still taking the brave step and letting the bumper champion take on his seniors.

O’Connell came in for a lot of criticism for his ride at Cheltenham and will be under some scrutiny this evening but Fenton yesterday was characteristically low-key. “It’s a tough assignment and we will have to see if it is the right decision,” he said. “He has had a trouble-free run since Cheltenham and the ground should be lovely.”

Whether the same comment can apply to Solwhit is debatable but on official figures last year’s winner remains over a stone higher rated than Dunguib. In contrast, Hurricane Fly should be fine on the surface for just his second start of an injury-plagued campaign.

The horse who began it as the Champion Hurdle favourite has only just made it back in time and a watching brief with next season in mind might be advisable.

Willie Mullins also runs his County Hurdle winner Thousand Stars, while the one mare in the race is Voler La Vedette, an intriguing possibility now that she drops back to two miles. An outsider with a shout in these conditions could be Won In The Dark, who wasn’t beaten far by Khyber Kim in the Aintree Hurdle.

Medermit and Ronaldo Des Mottes are the two other British challengers and the former boasts a defeat of Punjabi at Haydock during the winter.

Punjabi has always been more comfortable on a decent surface and getting that around here makes him a formidable opponent for anything, no matter what their reputation.

Reve de Sivola leads a trio of English-trained runners in the Grade one Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle but it could be his compatriot Duke Of Lucca who emerges best of all.

With the obvious exception of Bertie’s Dream, the Irish novice team didn’t cut too much at Cheltenham and today it is Luska Lad – who didn’t go to Prestbury Park at all – that appears the best of the home outfit.

The form of his defeat of Blackstairmountain at Fairyhouse was certainly boosted earlier this week and trainer “Shark” Hanlon doesn’t foresee problems with a very different surface now. “The ground is safe, that’s the main thing. I think he’ll improve on good ground and we are looking forward to it big time,” said Hanlon.

Going right-handed is a big plus to Luska Lad but it will be a new experience for Reve Di Sivola, who chased home the outstanding Peddlers Cross at Cheltenham.

“He hasn’t been this way before and it is a very different track to Cheltenham,” admitted his trainer Nick Williams. Duke Of Lucca also finished runner-up to Peddlers Cross on his last start, but at Aintree, when he was hampered at the third last before running on well. That performance was on ground similar to this.

Fionnegas was in the process of running a good race in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham until unseating his rider and may emerge as best of the Irish but Duke Of Lucca looks the value option.

The Hobbs team won at Cheltenham last month with Copper Blue and the Jewson victor carries topweight in the novice handicap a year to the day since he beat Otay Kawn in a novice hurdle here.

The latter hasn’t come anywhere near his old rival’s achievements over fences but he gets a stone and a half today and should relish ground conditions in a race Willie Mullins has won for the last three years.