Macs out for more Grade One Joy
Winner of two of his three jumps starts this winter, the six-year-old will head to the Dublin track for the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle after strolling away with the Bewleys Hotels December Festival Hurdle last month.
Macs Joy had four of tomorrow's rivals behind him when landing that two-mile showpiece with Brave Inca, Hardy Eustace, Solerina and Georges Girl chasing him home.
Accordion Etoile is the only new challenger for Macs Joy, with the Paul Nolan-trained six-year-old a general 8-1 chance for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Macs Joy had beaten the Colm Murphy-trained Brave Inca at Down Royal earlier in the season when receiving 10lb and again confirmed the placings at level weights at the Christmas Festival.
His only defeat in his last three starts came when he bumped into the rapidly-improving Harchibald at Punchestown in November and eventually finished third.
Macs Joy looked much more impressive last month though, when quickening away well to beat Brave Inca by three lengths, with last year's Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace coming home in third.
"He is in good order and seems to be alright," said trainer Jessica Harrington. "Everything has gone to plan since Leopardstown.
"I'd hope that he is the horse they all have to beat after his last run and the ground should be fine as he handled it last time.
"I didn't enter him in the Totesport Trophy as there was no point running him off 156 and he will go straight to Cheltenham."
Nolan's charge was made favourite with Ladbrokes for the March 15 event after powering up the Cheltenham hill last November to take the Greatwood Hurdle.
However, a proven good-ground horse, he found Solerina four lengths too good on soft going in October and there had been fears the prevailing conditions may have forced him out of this weekend's race.
"There is more rain forecast but I will definitely run and take my chance," Nolan said yesterday. "I hope the horse runs a good race but he is a stone below his best on that sort of ground.
"It is similar to when he got beat by Solerina and there is no reason why he should be able to turn the tables on her as the ground won't be any better than it was in Tipperary that day. It might not even be as loose, so a drop of rain might actually help it.
"After a bit of a break the horse might not be fit as he was that day in October. We gave him some time off after Cheltenham because he had been training for a while and on ground like this, you'd have to expect to come on for the run.
"I hope he will come out of the race well and it will then be straight to Cheltenham."
Solerina made the running in the Christmas Hurdle but was never able to be as dominant as she usually is, and weakened into fourth.
Part of James Bowe's small but prolific stable, Solerina had previously notched up three wins in a row over two and a half miles, but his son and assistant Michael still feels that the mare is still a force over the shorter distance.
"She is grand. She has done a nice couple of canters up the hill this morning, and will do the same tomorrow.
"She has won over two miles before, and I think that she will run well if she can reproduce the form she has been in all season."
Although the eight-year-old has been kept on the go all season, Bowe is still happy with her, and feels that Leopardstown's outer course will suit better than the inner course, which was used on her last run.
"She has only run badly once, in the Bewleys, and that was because she was not suited by the track, rather than the distance," he added.
"Having said that, she's been peaking since October and the other horses are coming in to form now.
"Whether she maintains her usual form is the question, but she seems the same as usual, and I am happy with her. Any more rain would help too."
Hardy Eustace was one of the six-declared runners for the AIG but trainer Dessie Hughes has said he will be keeping an eye on the weather in case conditions deteriorate which they may well do.
Tom Burke, Leopardstown's general manager, yesterday gave the ground on the hurdles course as yielding to soft, but warned that more rain was forecast for last night.
"The hurdles track has dried out but we could get as much as 10 millimetres of rain tonight, which which take us back to almost heavy if we get that much," he said.
"It should turn drier from tomorrow morning with a sharp frost forecast for Saturday night, and we will have to keep an eye on that, but at least it will allow the ground to dry slightly."
The going on the chase course is soft to heavy.
