Rathvinden stated his case for the Grand National with an impressive comeback win in the Grade 3 Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse on Saturday. The Willie Mullins-trained 11-year-old shrugged off a 305-day absence when getting the better of the race-fit Alpha Des Obeaux, after the favourite Magic Of Light had fallen earlier.

Mullins used this Fairyhouse race as a warm-up for his only Grand National winner, Hedgehunter, in 2005, and Rathvinden looks to have a fair chance of emulating that, under an allotted weight of 10st 10lb in Liverpool. Bookmakers now make him the clear second favourite at 16/1.

Mullins was in form again at Naas on Sunday, where Cadmium booked his Cheltenham ticket by winning a Grade 3 chase. The seven-year-old got the better of Gordon Elliott’s Doctor Phoenix after the last and will likely take his chance in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase. He is owned by the Supreme Racing Club, who are having a brilliant year and have two other big chances at Cheltenham through Grade 1 winners Aramon and Kemboy.

Elliott didn’t leave Naas empty-handed, taking a Paddy Power-sponsored Grade 2 novice hurdle through Chosen Mate. Ridden by Davy Russell, the odds-on favourite just held on from John McConnell’s Hannon. Rachael Blackmore also kept her good form when she partnered Poker Play to win a valuable novice handicap chase. Henry de Bromhead’s gelding held off the challenge of Elliott’s Monatomic.

CASUALTY

The first big casualty news pre Cheltenham came on Monday when Joseph O’Brien ruled Le Richebourg out of the Festival and remainder of the season.

The J.P. McManus-owned novice chaser was made favourite for the Arkle Novice Chase after two Grade 1 wins this term but won’t be seen until next season at the earliest.