Solwhit looks best

LEOPARDSTOWN SUNDAY:IT'S JUST over a year since Solwhit couldn't win a three-horse race at Thurles but the Charles Byrnes-trained star can confirm his position at the top of the hurdling tree in Ireland with victory in tomorrow's Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Solwhit’s progress since getting beaten at Thurles, albeit by Ninetieth Minute, has been remarkable, securing a pair of Grade One’s at Aintree and Punchestown last season, and adding two more this term.

In fact the only time he has been beaten was in a farcically run Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and there was an authority to Solwhit’s defeat of Sublimity here over Christmas that makes him many people’s fancy to secure Champion Hurdle honours at Cheltenham in March.

Tomorrow’s €110,000 feature of a bumper Leopardstown weekend is a major pot in its own right but Byrnes is using it as a Cheltenham pointer with the Paul Nicholls-trained Celestial Halo also taking part.

“I think he will have a proper test on Sunday,” the Limerick trainer said yesterday.

“I know he has won two Grade One’s this season but Celestial Halo is going to be hard to beat as I’ve heard they have him in really good order. Celestial Halo was a close second in last year’s Champion Hurdle and we will have a better idea of where we are after Sunday.”

Nicholls did seem to be anticipating a big run from Celestial Halo yesterday and said: “The big galloping track at Leopardstown is made for him and the ground will also suit. It looks a perfect race for him.”

In contrast ground conditions look to have gone for Sublimity while it is hard to make an argument for any of the five other runners. Celestial Halo at his best is top class and will provide a real test for Solwhit. It looks a test that the Irish runner is capable of passing with flying colours however.

The Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Chase is tomorrow’s other Grade One pot in which Nicholls runs Take The Breeze. Ruby Walsh has got off the English horse though in favour of Sports Line who is having a first start since November.

Sports Line was impressive at Navan on that occasion but he is quite a free-running sort who may be better on quicker ground while Zaarito finally lived up to his home reputation with a smooth success in similar conditions here during Christmas.

Hollo Ladies won a Grade One over Christmas and concedes weight all round in tomorrow’s Grade Two Synergy Hurdle. However the banner name in the race looks like being Quel Esprit, impressive in two victories this season, who is regarded as prime Cheltenham material for March.

Rite Of Passage is also prominent in ante-post betting for Cheltenham without even having run over hurdles yet. Denied a run over Christmas when banging his head off the horsebox on his way to the races, Dermot Weld’s hugely-promising horse can win first time up in the opening maiden hurdle while Weld also has an interesting bumper runner in Manhattan Melody.