Supreme favourite Salvator Mundi to face five rivals as he bids to emulate Vautour and Douvan in Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle

Willie Mullins will rely on two for his bid for a fourth consecutive win in the Sky Bet Club Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle (2.25) at Punchestown on Sunday when he saddles market leaders Salvator Mundi and Kel Histoire for the Grade 2 event.

Triumph Hurdle sixth Salvator Mundi is a hot favourite after declarations to make a winning return to action after a 243-day break, having been last seen winning readily at Tipperary in May. The five-year-old is ante-post favourite for the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at a best-priced 6-1. 

His sixth-place finish behind Majborough at the Cheltenham Festival was his first start for Mullins after finishing second to Sir Gino in France, and he leads the charge for Closutton as they attempt to follow up the wins of Mystical Power, Impaire Et Passe and Dysart Dynamo over the past three years. Mullins has also won the Grade 2 event with Vautour, Douvan and Min, who both followed up in the Cheltenham Festival curtain-raiser.

Paul Townend takes the ride on the favourite while stablemate Kel Histoire will be ridden by Mark Walsh. The five-year-old heads into the race with an unbeaten record after winning on his stable debut at Cork last month.

Kel Histoire: runs in the Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle

Gordon Elliott, who last won the 2m1f contest in 2020, relies on Robcour's Relieved Of Duties, while Henry de Bromhead fields another last-time-out winner in the Darragh O'Keeffe-ridden Sky Lord.

Elliott fields a much stronger team in Punchestown's other Graded contest, with three of the five runners in the Sky Bet For The Fans Novice Chase (12.55).

Henry VIII third Down Memory Lane returns to calmer waters in this Grade 3 contest alongside Search For Glory, who also finished third at Grade 1 level in the Faugheen Novice Chase.

Smart hurdler Farren Glory completes the line-up for Elliott while Mullins saddles Lecky Watson, who made a promising start to chasing by defeating Slade Steel at Naas last month.

Sky Bet, For The Fans Novice Chase runners and riders

Down Memory Lane Mark Walsh
Farren Glory TBC
Ifiwerearichman Sean O'Keeffe
Lecky Watson Paul Townend
Search For Glory TBC

Sky Bet Club Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle runners and riders

Artic Lane Shane Fitzgerald
Kel Histoire Mark Walsh
Mr Rango Danny Mullins
Relieved Of Duties TBC
Salvator Mundi Paul Townend
Sky Lord Darragh O'Keeffe

Read more:

Superstar Galopin Des Champs heads Dublin Racing Festival fields with six Brits in contention for Grade 1 feast 

Cheltenham still the aim for Maughreen as Mares' Novices' Hurdle favourite nears return 

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