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Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Al Boum Photo will face seven rivals when he bids to follow up in the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup.
The seven-year-old provided Willie Mullins with an elusive first victory in the blue riband at Prestbury Park, but faces a far from straightforward task in the feature event on day two of the Punchestown Festival.
Al Boum Photo’s two biggest threats on Wednesday hail from his own yard, in Kemboy and Bellshill.
Kemboy made it no further than the first fence at Cheltenham, but has since bounced back with a dominant victory in the Betway Bowl at Aintree.
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Bellshill won last year’s Punchestown Gold Cup, but defends his crown with something to prove after being pulled up in the Cotswolds.
Henry de Bromhead saddles Ryanair Chase fourth Monalee and Sub Lieutenant, who was last seen finishing second in the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree.
The Gordon Elliott-trained The Storyteller and Noel Meade’s Snow Falcon are set to return just nine days after finishing second and fourth respectively in the Grade Two Devenish Chase at Fairyhouse.
The field is completed by Brian Ellison’s British raider Definitly Red.
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