Fairyhouse preview:The countdown to Cheltenham might be on in earnest but it's Liverpool that will be primarily on people's minds at Fairyhouse today where the Grand National hero Numbersixvalverde looks set to continue his preparations for an Aintree return with a victory.
Martin Brassil's star is the latest to try and become the first since Red Rum (1973-74) to win back-to-back Nationals and while the handicapper has made his job harder at Liverpool in April, the ratings for today's At The Races Bobbyjo Chase look to be very much in Numbersixvalverde's favour.
Only the topweight, Watson Lake, has a higher rating in the Grade Two event and this will be just the second time that Noel Meade's horse tackles a three-mile trip.
Everything else in the race is officially "wrong" with Numbersixvalverde who didn't please everyone with his run over hurdles at Punchestown last time but left both Brassil and jockey "Slippers" Madden happy with his rate of progress.
Clearly everything is geared to having the horse at a peak for his Aintree defence but he looks well in on testing ground, won't pick up a penalty, and significantly the 2005 National winner, Hedgehunter, used the Fairyhouse event as a launch pad for his biggest day of all.
Hedgehunter's stable companion, Homer Wells, thrived in the testing conditions to score in the Thyestes at Gowran and despite a 10lb hike in the ratings, he could be the danger as he pursues his own National ambitions back here at Easter.
Willie Mullins throws three darts at the Grade Three Aramark Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle where the Grade Two winner Convincing has to concede weight all round.
The Tony Martin-trained Robin Du Bois is the shortest priced of the field in ante-post betting for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham on the back of a fine jumping debut at Christmas behind Lounaos. Significant improvement from that could leave the ex-French horse clear in this race but it could be worth giving Jayo another chance to earn his Triumph spurs.
The horse named after the Dublin GAA star Jason Sherlock was a grave disappointment on his second jumping start at Punchestown where he was found to be a sick horse after being pulled up.
His Limerick debut was full of promise and a return to that kind of slick jumping will be a big help in a pretty hot contest.
The good handicap chaser Kymadjen is an interesting contender for the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle where he is rated over a stone and a half lighter than over fences.
The last of Kymandjen's four starts over the smaller obstacles was in July 2003 but he has come through the chasing ranks since and was prominent for a long way in the Thyestes last month.
Good Thing struggled home in desperate conditions here last month and the runner-up, Baracadero, was a Punchestown winner on Wednesday. There is half a mile further to go this time in the novice handicap but stamina doesn't seem to be an issue.
Washington Lad has his fourth run back over fences in the opening Beginners Chase and Barry Geraghty's mount should go close if avoiding the sort of mishap that occurred last weekend at Gowran when falling behind Khetaam.
