News Round-Up: Captain Cee Bee is a general 10 to 1 third favourite for Cheltenham's Anglo Irish Bank Novices' Hurdle but his festival warm-up at Punchestown tomorrow could see the JP McManus-owned horse edged out by Sophocles.
Ruby Walsh teams up for the first time with Sophocles whose own Supreme odds of 20 to 1 could shorten significantly if he gets the better of Captain Cee Bee and Co in the Grade Two Byrne Group Novice Hurdle.
However, it has been Captain Cee Bee who has been the centre of Cheltenham ante-post interest in recent weeks although his trainer, Eddie Harty, expects the horse to improve considerably from this weekend's run.
"He is getting better and better and has learned from his two races over hurdles. He is fit and well but hopefully he'll learn a lot from Sunday. This will be his final run before Cheltenham," Harty said yesterday.
Sophocles is also having just his third start over flights but already has Cheltenham Festival form having finished runner-up to Cork All Star in last year's Champion Bumper.
James Leavy's grey broke his jumping duck at Leopardstown over Christmas and Leavy said yesterday: "Obviously we want him to be spot on for March 11th so he won't be fully wound up for Sunday. He has had a little time off since Leopardstown. He idled a bit there so we are running on Sunday to give him a bit more experience."
Tomorrow's other Grade Two is the Tied Cottage Chase which sees the 2006 Queen Mother winner Newmill have his final prep run for this year's festival.
John Murphy's star ran a blinder at Gowran when close behind Nickname on Thyestes day where he handled the very testing ground better than many anticipated.
Conditions will be testing again and while Newmill could tolerate it, he could also find it tough to cope with the novice Albanov who handles soft ground well.
Jessica Harrington's charge is no ordinary novice having racked up 38 races in his career to date and the bare form of his second to Thyne Again at Naas reads very well now.
It would be dangerous to take that run literally but it could be foolish to ignore Albanov's chance in these conditions.
The three and a half miles of the ASpace Cabins Grand National Trial will take some getting and off a reasonable weight the proven stayer Oscar India could be a bet to continue the hot-streak of the Henry De Bromhead team.
Willie Mullins will be hoping that Limerick gets the green light as his former smart juvenile hurdler Financial Reward is due to get his fencing career under way in the Beginners Chase while Capel Lad will also be hard to beat in the novice hurdle.
