Anthony Honeyball preparing Punchestown festival team as he targets a winner for fourth year in a row

No British trainer has enjoyed as much success at the Punchestown Festival in recent years as Anthony Honeyball, and the trainer will remarkably look to strike at the meeting for the fourth consecutive season.

The Dorset trainer has bucked the trend of Irish dominance by toppling representative's from Ireland powerhouse stables at its signature jumps festival. His winning sequence at the meeting was started by Sully D'Oc Aa and Lilith, before Kilbeg King powered clear under Aidan Coleman last season.

Blackjack Magic won the Badger Beer – the biggest race at the trainer's local track Wincanton – earlier in the season and will lead the challenge in the Pat Taaffe Handicap Chase. Sam Brown, who fell when travelling well in the race 12 months ago, could also join him.

Consistent performer Credo is set to contest the Colm Quinn BMW Handicap Chase, while Norton Hill and Oakley's Way are possible runners depending on their performances at Taunton this week.

Honeyball said: "We had horses with JP [McManus] so they'd come and have a run before they'd go home [to Martinstown], which got me into the routine of doing it. I'd be mortified not to have a runner there now, I wouldn't dream of it.

"We're going mainly for the handicaps but that's what we feel we can be competitive in, there's a few we feel go there with a squeak. That said, none of the ones who have been there have been particularly well fancied.

"We felt last season three in a row can't happen, but it did and we think the same this season. You have to manage your expectations a bit, because things go in waves.

"The ones we go to Punchestown with, we set them aside so they're not in the firing line at Cheltenham or Aintree. We give them a bit of time, go over there a bit before and it works well. We've had loads of good runs and places too."

Last season's handicap hurdle winner Kilbeg King is also being considered for a second tilt. The nine-year-old has entries at Aintree in the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices' Chase and £100,000 3m1f handicap chase.

"He's a possible runner but at the moment his number one aim is Aintree. That said, we do want better ground with him," Honeyball added.

"I saw he was 50-1 at Aintree which looked quite big. He's got some good form like in the Kauto Star at Kempton. He arrived with a chance turning in that day but nobody knew the French horse [Il Est Francais] was going to do what he did. I know he disappointed the other day but he looked seriously good.

"Kilbeg King should've won the Reynoldstown too really, he threw it away with a sluggish leap, but he's doing well.

"If we don't win with him this season he'll be a novice and a veteran for next season, so he could be a very strangely campaigned horse."

Read these next:

Confirmed runners and riders for the four Grade 1 races on the opening day of Aintree's Grand National meeting 

Which horses have shortened in the market for the 2024 Grand National? 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.