Walsh faces his first big test on shoulder injury

Irish Racing Thurles and Navan previews:Ruby Walsh returns to action with two rides at Thurles tomorrow five weeks after the champion jockey dislocated a shoulder at Cheltenham's Paddy Power meeting and just in time to prove his fitness ahead of some hugely important Christmas dates.

Walsh is set to be on board Kauto Star in Wednesday's King George VI Chase and Denman in Friday's Lexus Chase at Leopardstown with a date in Thursday's Welsh National at Chepstow in between. However, before the Christmas cream comes the rather more bread-and-butter fare of tomorrow's racing where Walsh will team up with Paramount, trained by his father Ted, in the Listed hurdle and Cousin Peter in the two and three quarter mile maiden.

"I've been riding out for my Dad for most of the week and I'm feeling good," Walsh reported. "I can't wait to get back into the full swing of things."

One touch of equine quality tomorrow comes in the Listed race where Edward O'Grady's Catch Me looks to have a relatively simple task in following up an impressive win at Fairyhouse at the start of the month.

That was enough to provoke ante-post quotes of as low as 5 to 1 for next Saturday's Grade One hurdle at Leopardstown but O'Grady has gone for the easier option.

Holly Tree is the closest on ratings to the ex-German Catch Me but he was almost 30 lengths behind at Fairyhouse and faces a huge task in reversing that form.

Barry Geraghty is also in action at Thurles and the former champion teams up with Eric McNamara for the course and distance winner Bellflower Boy in the novice handicap. A 7lb penalty for winning here in October doesn't look enough to harm his winning claims especially on this relatively decent ground.

There will be no 25 to 1 about Oscar Dan Dan in the bumper like when Tom Mullins's five-year-old made his racecourse debut at Punchestown behind Chasing Cars and he looks one to examine in the finale.

Belord's overall form gives him a sound chance in the first maiden hurdle but Agamard ran an eye-catching race behind Baltiman at Cork and could be open to more improvement.

The Galway Plate-winning jockey Kevin Coleman teams up with Spring Vision in the handicap chase and this one looks up to defying an 8lb hike in the ratings for winning here last month.