Like-a-Butterfly remains on target to make her first start of the season in the AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown at the end of the month.
The JP McManus-owned mare, winner of the Supreme Novices' at the Cheltenham festival in March, is as low as 12 to 1 with Powers for the Champion Hurdle despite not having run in nine months.
Like-A-Butterfly had been lined up to run at Christmas but fell foul of an infection which forced trainer Christy Roche to withdraw his horses on the last day of Leopardstown's Christmas Festival. However, the prospects now appear to be brighter for the yard.
"The horses were under a cloud for a few days but things were taken easy and they look to be coming back to themselves," said Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus, yesterday. "We won't know for certain until they get back to full work and that is a problem with all the frost that's around at the moment.
"But the plan with Like-A-Butterfly is still to go for the AIG. She seems in good form again and all being well she'll be at Leopardstown."
Berry also reported that the Denny and Drinmore winner Le Coudray is likely to reappear on the same day in either the Arkle, over two miles, or the Moriarty Chase over two miles five furlongs.
Le Coudray is among the market leaders for the SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but the ex-French star was also one of nine Irish-trained horses left in the 49-strong entry at yesterday's elimination stage for the Gold Cup.
Last year's winner, Best Mate, dominates the ante-post market but will be trying to become the first since L'Escargot 31 years ago to win back-to-back Gold Cups. In addition, just five horses have won the Gold Cup more than once, and none since Desert Orchid in 1988-89 have won the Gold Cup and the King George in the same season.
The exciting novice Beef Or Salmon is the second favourite and the shortest priced of the Irish entry that also includes the twice-placed Florida Pearl and the Ted Walsh duo Commanche Court and Rince Ri.
For the first time there will be a supplementary stage for the Gold Cup this season, just five days before the race, at a cost of £17,500.
There are five French-trained horses already in the Gold Cup, and Martin Pipe has a nine-strong entry, including the Thomas Pink winner Cyfor Malta.
Janidou remains clear favourite for Sunday's Pierse Hurdle after 36 were left in at the six-day stage.
The Arthur Moore-trained horse is 7 to 1 favourite with Paddy Power after being backed last week at 10s. There has also been support for Tom Taaffe's Emotional Moment, who is next best at 10 to 1 while the English challenger Whistling Dixie is 11 to 1.
Power bet: 7 Janidou, 10 Emotional Moment, 11 Whistling Dixie, 12 Some Buzz, 14 Anxious Moments, Atlantic Rhapsoday, Camden Tanner, Evening Scent, Holy Orders, Milkat and Rare Ouzel, 16 bar.
