Fortria Steeplechase preview Twinlight and Days Hotel, last year's respective first and second in the tote.com Fortria Chase, again do battle in the Grade Two at Navan today. Willie Mullins' Twinlight had something of an in-and-out campaign last season and will be making his reappearance after finishing well beaten at Punchestown behind stablemate Felix Yonger. Days Hotel has not been seen since finishing tailed off in the Tied Cottage at Punchestown. And while he also finished second to Flemenstar two years ago, his trainer Henry de Bromhead appears to hold stronger claims with Special Tiara. Special Tiara ran out of his skin in the Queen Mother at Cheltenham, when beaten only three lengths into third, and then lowered the colours of the once-invincible Sprinter Sacre at Sandown. Because that win came in a Grade One he is forced to concede weight all round. De Bromhead said: "We found Days Hotel had a problem at the end of last season, but we had that dealt with and he looks a better horse this season. "He'll go for the Fortria and hopefully he'll run a big race for us again. "Special Tiara seems to be in very good form and he'll also run. "He has summered really well and he has filled out his frame and I am very happy with him. "I always felt that he wanted good ground, but it was soft when he won the Celebration Chase at Sandown and he loved it. "It was probably his best performance, so that opens up more options for him." Hidden Cyclone has a bit of a reputation for being a 'nearly' horse but everybody would like one of those who has won over 300,000 euro. While he is capable of running very well against the best over two miles, his trainer Shark Hanlon feels he prefers just a little bit further these days as a 10-year-old. He was last seen finishing a very respectable fourth in the Galway Hurdle after winning on the Flat. "He seems to be in super form," said Hanlon. "I'd love to find a chase for him over two miles and two furlongs, as I think that would be his best trip, but two or two and a half miles is fine for him. "After Navan, he'll go to Punchestown for the Durkan over two and a half." The field is completed by Gordon Elliott's Bright New Dawn, an early faller behind Don Cossack on his first run for the yard, and the returning Flemenstar, a dual winner of this race in 2012 and 2013. Having been trained by Peter Casey and Tony Martin in the past, he is now handled by the owner's son, Anthony Curran.
