Total Enjoyment ready for Punchestown

Total Enjoyment aims to get back on the Cheltenham trail following a setback when she returns to action at Punchestown tomorrow…

Total Enjoyment aims to get back on the Cheltenham trail following a setback when she returns to action at Punchestown tomorrow.

Last season's Champion Bumper winner was laid low for a while with a respiratory tract infection after finishing sixth to Wild Passion at Fairyhouse a month ago when a hot favourite.

Trainer Tom Cooper had hoped to run her in the Paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown earlier in the week but decided to plump for the easier option of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Mares) Hurdle.

"She's seems healthy but she won't be 100 per cent fit tomorrow as she missed 13 days work," said the Tralee trainer. "I took a step back and have put her in a mares' only race. You'd have to be 100 per cent to take on the best novices at Leopardstown.

READ MORE

"She ran a cracker at Fairyhouse to say she was ill. She was well there until the second-last and only got beat nine lengths."

Total Enjoyment faces seven rivals in tomorrow's Listed contest over two and a half miles, headed by Sunami Storm, winner of her last two starts for Willie Mullins.

Cooper is considering one more race for his stable star before the Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the Festival in March.

"She'll possibly have another run before Cheltenham, at Leopardstown in February," he added.