'All roads lead to Cheltenham' - festival winner Ferny Hollow set to race for first time since 2021

Ferny Hollow is set to return from an absence of more than two years at Gowran Park on Saturday, resuming a career that once looked among the most exciting in the sport.

The nine-year-old won the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in 2020 and beat the top-class Bob Olinger when making a successful hurdling debut at Gowran later that year, only to miss the rest of the campaign with a stress fracture.

He came back from more than a year on the sidelines to win twice over fences in December 2021, putting up a performance his trainer Willie Mullins described as "awesome" in landing the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown, and was second favourite for the Arkle when he was ruled out with a suspensory ligament injury.