Arctic Fire© Photo Healy Racing
Arctic Fire is the star attraction on a seven-race card at Cork on Monday.
The top-class hurdler was retired by champion trainer Willie Mullins and his owner Nick Peacock earlier this year.
However, Peacock later had a change of heart and returned the nine-year-old to training with Denis Cullen.
He made his first competitive appearance in well over a year in a two-and-a-half-mile conditions race at this venue almost a month ago and while he performed well short of his lofty rating of 160, he ran with plenty of credit to finish third behind former stablemate Good Thyne Tara.
Connections will be hoping that effort has blown away any cobwebs and he is very much the one to beat in the three-mile Joe Walsh Memorial Hurdle.
Arctic Fire faces seven rivals including Michael Bowe’s recent Limerick winner High Nellie Gordon Elliott’s pair of Flaxen Flare and Sutton Manor and Gangster from Henry de Bromhead’s yard.
Plenty of punters will be putting their faith in Mullins and Ruby Walsh in the opening Follow Us On Twitter Mares Maiden Hurdle.
The formidable combination is represented by Koroleva who opened her account at the fourth attempt in a bumper here last month and she will undoubtedly have been well schooled ahead of her hurdling bow.
The Irish Examiner Handicap Hurdle is a competitive heat with several recent winners doing battle.
De Bromhead’s Due Reward and the Jessica Harrington-trained Feeling The Love are both chasing hat-tricks, while Denis Hogan’s Storm Rising bids to follow up his Galway Festival success of a week ago. Paris Texas Percy Veer and Uncle Henry look the three to concentrate on in the Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle. Queen Khaleesi absolutely bolted up at Killarney almost three weeks ago and must have every chance of following up in the 24-runner Mallow Mares Handicap Hurdle.
A maximum field has also been declared for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Handicap Hurdle, with the Ado McGuinness-trained Black Label and Harrington’s Fintara among those in the mix.
The Bank Holiday fixture concludes with the Ticket Sales Online @corkracecourse.ie INH Flat Race.
The Prunella Dobbs-trained Eloping just about sets the standard under Jamie Codd, although any money for the Mullins newcomer Buck’s Billionaire — a half-brother to the mighty Big Buck’s — would clearly be ominous.
