As the Cheltenham Festival looms ever larger on the horizon the next couple of weeks will see a number of the country’s brightest hopes for the Prestbury Park spectacular complete their racecourse preparations.

This week’s Dublin Racing Festival will represent a pivotal guide to Cheltenham but a relatively low key fixture at Fairyhouse last weekend also offered a telling pointer in the shape of the Willie Mullins-trained Laurina.

This mare made a winning Irish debut in a modest maiden hurdle at Tramore in December but last Saturday’s Grade 3 Solerina Mares Novice Hurdle was far more revelatory in terms of Laurina’s potential.

The daughter of Spanish Moon was stepping up markedly in grade and was taking on some decent types but she won at her leisure. In a division that doesn’t contain meaningful strength in depth Laurina holds utterly compelling claims for the mares novice hurdle at Cheltenham. Even in the aftermath of her Fairyhouse tour de force she was still a 3/1 chance for her intended Cheltenham target and she represents an especially attractive ante post proposition for Cheltenham.

PERFECT PERCY

Earlier in the week Gordon Elliott bagged another major prize to have thus far eluded his grasp as Monbeg Notorious ran away with Gowran’s Thyestes Chase.

The winner, who was having just his fourth start over fences, hadn’t captured the imagination in his initial efforts over the larger obstacles but he was an entirely different proposition in this most exacting of stamina tests.

It will be interesting to see whether he can replicate this form over the remainder of the season but he has done his bit to aid his trainer’s relentless push for trainer’s championship honours.

The real star of the day at Gowran was Pat Kelly’s Presenting Percy who was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Galmoy Hurdle.

This supremely talented gelding came through this unorthodox RSA Chase warm up with flying colours and the sky remains the limit for last season’s Cheltenham handicap hurdle winner.