Awards can console O'Brien

AIDAN O'BRIEN might have endured a torrid time in Australia yesterday but there was better news at home with four of his star performers short-listed for Horse Of The Year Honours.

Duke Of Marmalade, Henrythenavigator, Halfway To Heaven and Yeats are among the six horses up for the Horse Of The Year prize at next month's Horse Racing Ireland awards.

The other two contenders are the Jim Bolger-trained pair, New Approach and Lush Lashes. O'Brien and Bolger are also among the nominees for the flat racing award.

Willie Mullins is listed for the jump racing prize and the champion trainer could have a good afternoon at Downpatrick today where Drive On Regardless can get his hurdling career off to a successful start.

David Casey's mount was good enough to make last season's Cheltenham bumper and he could kick off a Mullins double as Deutschland is an interesting starter in the second Beginners Chase.

Killenaule Boy finds it difficult to get his head in front but has a good opportunity today in the other Beginners Chase, while Spring Charm can follow up at Punchestown success in the handicap chase despite a 9lb weight hike.

Meanwhile, War Of Attrition has been given the go-ahead to take his chance in the Thurles Chase tomorrow.

The nine-year-old had been out of action for almost two years prior to last month's comeback at Punchestown, where he blew away another former Gold Cup winner, Kicking King, by 19 lengths.

War Of Attrition swerved Saturday's Charlie Hall Chase due to the fast ground at Wetherby, but trainer Mouse Morris expects conditions to be ideal at Thurles.

"War Of Attrition will take his chance at Thurles, all being well, and there have been no hiccups since Punchestown," said Morris.

"He hasn't done an awful lot since, to be honest, and we have just been keeping him ticking over - but he seems in good form.

"We decided to miss the Charlie Hall because of the fast ground, but the ground at Thurles should be absolutely perfect.

"We will get this race out of the way before we talk about where he might go afterwards."

Katchit's probable appearance and the prospect of heavy ground is swaying trainer Charlie Swan against running Cloone River in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton on Saturday.

Should the Champion Hurdle winner take his chance at the Somerset course, that would mean Swan's 12-year-old would be out of the handicap.

"He's 50-50 at the moment. Katchit might run and in that case, he'd be out of the weights and I wouldn't want to do that. We'll have to look and see," said the Co Tipperary trainer.

"There's a small chance he'll run. He wouldn't want it too soft either. That would be against him.

"He could go instead on the all-weather at Dundalk on the 14th, a handicap over a mile and a half."