Make it Mikael one more time

MIKAEL d’HAGUENET, who has done us proud through the entire campaign, has to be the nap choice to head for a summer’s grass in a blaze of glory in the Land Rover Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown this evening.

He is unbeaten in five races over flights, since coming from France to be trained by Willie Mullins, and is regarded by connections as a possible Cheltenham Gold Cup winner down the line.

The five-year-old put up a fine performance to win the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, despite running too freely for his own good.