Cheltenham Festival hopefuls prep at Gowran Park

Gordon Elliott is triple-handed in the Grade Three Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park on Saturday, with potential Champion Hurdle contender Teahupoo his chief contender.

The Masked Marvel gelding has beaten last season's Triumph Hurdle winner Quilixios on his last two starts – and Henry de Bromhead’s youngster is once again in opposition.

Elliott, who also runs Felix Desjy and The Tide Turns, said: "Teahupoo is in good form and the Red Mills Hurdle is the natural progression into senior company for him.

"He did it well at Limerick over Christmas on testing ground and we couldn’t have been happier. I’d hope he’d be better on better ground and this is a lovely race to target at this stage of the season.

"This race should give us a good guide as to what direction we take for major spring festivals."

The Willie Mullins-trained Saldier won the Galway Hurdle and a Grade Three at Tipperary last year, but has since been well-beaten at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown. He is fitted with blinkers for the first time.

"On ratings, he should be involved but I just wonder if he would like nicer ground and if the soft ground at Gowran will play to his strengths," said Patrick Mullins.

"We’d be more hopeful than confident going into the race with him because of that. But if he were to handle it, he should be competitive."

Joseph O’Brien’s Darasso won the Gowran feature in 2019 and has been placed in the last two renewals. He bids to regain his crown.

O’Brien said: "Darasso is in good nick. He won the race a few years ago and he’s been holding his form well this season.

"He handles soft ground. He’s a good, solid horse and hopefully he runs his race again. It is a very hot race.

"I would say that it’s less likely he will go to Cheltenham afterwards