Six horses who can play a starring role at the Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown festivals

After the conclusion of the Cheltenham Festival, we assess some of the potential runners to look forward to at the major spring festivals at Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown . . .

Bob Olinger

The race planning of owners Robcour was vindicated at the Cheltenham Festival with Teahupoo landing the Stayers' Hurdle after deliberately being kept fresh for 102 days following his Hatton's Grace victory in December. 

Teahupoo's stablemate Irish Point was a leading contender for the Stayers' after his 11-length victory in a Leopardstown Grade 1 2m7½f hurdle, but the decision to drop him back in trip for the Champion Hurdle in light of Constitution Hill's defection paid off when he was an excellent second to State Man.

Skipping Cheltenham with Bob Olinger might prove to be another inspired decision by Brian Acheson, whose horses run under the Robcour banner. Bob Olinger is unbeaten in three starts at Cheltenham, including at two festivals, but next month's Aintree Hurdle looks tailor-made for the revived nine-year-old. 

Bob Olinger's sole defeat in three starts this season came to State Man over an inadequate trip at the Dublin Racing Festival and stepping back up to two and a half miles on the Thursday of the Grand National meeting looks an excellent opportunity for him to seal a fourth Grade 1 victory.

Last year's winner Constitution Hill is far from guaranteed to defend his crown and Bob Olinger could be the first of two top-level winners at Aintree for Robcour should Irish Point, who won a Grade 1 contest as a novice at this meeting last year, successfully step back up in distance to land the Liverpool Hurdle.  

Dysart Enos

Fergal O'Brien endured a tough Cheltenham Festival with the death of Highland Hunter in Tuesday's Ultima and Crambo's disappointing effort in the Stayers' Hurdle. Prior to Crambo's ninth-placed finish, Dysart Enos was found slightly lame on Thursday morning and was ruled out of the Mares' Novices' Hurdle. 

O'Brien geared Dysart Enos's entire season around the festival Grade 2 contest, keeping her to normal novice company to avoid a potential 5lb penalty incurred for a Listed or Graded success. 

His mood would not have been helped by Golden Ace, who Dsyart Enos beat by nine lengths in last year's Grade 2 mares' bumper at Aintree, comfortably beating big Irish talking horse Brighterdaysahead.

Dysart Enos: Grade 2 Aintree winner could return to that track next month after missing CheltenhamCredit: John Grossick

Although frustrating, Golden Ace's win was a huge form boost to Dysart Enos, who is entered in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Honeysuckle Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on March 31. 

O'Brien also has Springtime Promise entered in that Grade 1 test and given she is already proven over the trip, a return to Aintree looks likelier for Dysart Enos. The 2m½f Top Novices' Hurdle could provide the six-year-old, who would receive 7lb from the geldings, with some Grade 1 compensation for missing Cheltenham.

Caldwell Potter

Sir Alex Ferguson, John Hales and Ged Mason were in the winner's enclosure at the festival with Monmiral and Protektorat and have €740,000 purchase Caldwell Potter's likely stable debut for Paul Nicholls to look forward to at Aintree. 

The six-year-old won a Leopardstown Grade 1 contest over two miles on his final start for Gordon Elliott and it was notable that Absurde, who was pulled up behind Caldwell Potter in that heavy ground contest over Christmas, landed Friday's County Hurdle on the same going description. 

That form boost should further whet the appetite for the most expensive jumps horse sold at auction's next appearance in the Mersey Novices' Hurdle on Grand National Day, the 2m4f Grade 1 novice event Nicholls has won on four occasions. 

Corach Rambler

Last year's Grand National winner Corach Rambler ran on superbly to finish third in Friday's Gold Cup and is primed to defend his crown at Aintree on April 13. Soft ground did not suit the ten-year-old, who still performed with huge credit and the return to quicker ground and a marathon trip will suit next month.

Corach Rambler: last year's Grand National hero was third in the Gold CupCredit: Michael Steele

Neptune Collonges finished third and fourth in Gold Cups prior to his Grand National victory in 2012 and Corach Rambler may emulate that feat if coping with a 13lb higher mark than last season's success.

Jonbon

The form of Nicky Henderson's yard dominated the headlines during festival week, with Jonbon one of several high-profile absentees from the Seven Barrows string. 

Constitution Hill's return is obviously the most eagerly anticipated of Henderson's stars but with El Fabiolo fluffing his lines in the Champion Chase, the two-mile chase division has a more open feel to it.

Jonbon (right) beat Champion Chase winner Captain Guinness (left) in last year's Celebration ChaseCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Captain Guinness capitalised on El Fabiolo being pulled up to win his first Grade 1 race, but he fell short by nearly four lengths to Jonbon when the pair last met in the Celebration Chase at Sandown 11 months ago. 

Henderson may opt to head to Sandown's season finale to defend that Grade 1 title on April 27 with no equivalent race over two miles at Aintree, but the Punchestown Champion Chase could be an exciting alternative.

Jonbon's owner JP McManus has already seen Gentleman De Mee defeated by Captain Guinness in the Champion Chase and although he could drop Mares' Chase runner-up Dinoblue back to two miles, a rematch between last year's Arkle one-two could kick off the Punchestown Festival in style on April 30.

Gaelic Warrior

You could name any of the nine Willie Mullins Cheltenham Festival winners as exciting prospects to look forward to but the possibility of Gaelic Warrior returning to a right-handed track this spring could yield a mammoth performance. 

The six-year-old made it third time lucky at the Cheltenham Festival when landing the Arkle but going left-handed is far from ideal for the talented novice chaser, although his odds-on defeat to Fact To File at Leopardstown was not a disgrace given his stablemate followed up in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

Gaelic Warrior: Arkle winner has won both of his starts at PunchestownCredit: Patrick McCann

Gaelic Warrior is entered in the WilllowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse on March 31 and the step back up to two and a half miles would not be an issue as he is already a Grade 1 chase winner over a similar trip, courtesy of his five-and-half-length Limerick victory over subsequent Irish Arkle winner Il Etait Temps at Christmas. 

Gaelic Warrior has won both of his starts at Punchestown by a combined 25 lengths, including when making a successful chasing debut in November. He could make it back-to-back wins at the Punchestown Festival in unusual style if backing up last season's Grade 1 novice hurdle win in the Barberstown Castle Novice Chase over two miles on May 2.

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