Lieutenant Command and Ilikedwayurthinkin renew rivalry but must fend off strong Mullins trio

Lieutenant Command and Ilikedwayurthinkin will renew their battle in the HSS Hire Handicap Chase at Punchestown after Noel Meade's charge came out on top at Leopardstown with the Gavin Cromwell-trained runner four and a half lengths back in third.

With a six pound swing in the weights, Ilikedwayurthinkin has plausible claims of turning around the form, especially if conditions are testing as decent ground seems to be key for Lieutenant Command and he looks a solid proposition in this contest.

Ground should be no problem for the Gordon Elliott-trained Andy Dufresne, who was a cracking second in last season's Grand Annual on heavy and finished eighth in this year's renewal after a couple of mistakes early on. The JP McManus-owned nine-year-old faces a significant step up in trip here but no doubt has the talent to feature and his supporters will take solace from the fact he won over two and a half miles as a novice hurdler.

Willie Mullins saddles a strong trio of runners, including last year's winner Royal Rendezvous. He is now 5lb lower than when emerging victorious in last year's renewal but will likely meet vastly different conditions this time round given it was decent ground that day.

Royal Rendezvous: last year's winner returns as one of three runners for Willie MullinsCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Ha D'Or is the choice of Paul Townend and makes his handicap debut off a mark of 140. He ran a cracker at this festival last season over hurdles when a four-length second to El Fabiolo and has been acquitting himself well over fences, finishing fifth in last month's Arkle. This drop in grade will see him feature much more prominently and he is another who might be at his best on soft ground.

Hereditary Rule would want the rain to stay away, while Gallant John Joe and The Little Yank are interesting from an each-way perspective given conditions won't bother them. The latter ran well in the Leinster National in March and could run a big race if he copes with the drop in distance.

What they say 

Noel Meade, trainer of Lieutenant Command
He was good at Leopardstown the last day but the secret to him is the ground. The better the ground then the better chance he has.

Gavin Cromwell, trainer of Ilikedwayurthinkin
It was a good run at Leopardstown last time. His form has been a bit in and out but it was a bit more positive there and with a similar performance then hopefully he would be thereabouts.

Paul Townend, jockey of Ha D'Or
Being a novice in an open handicap will help us. His form with Flame Bearer looks very good after Flame Bearer won a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse. He was beaten only four lengths by El Fabiolo in a two-mile hurdle here last year and I've chosen him because he is open to more improvement. Royal Rendezvous won the race last year off of 160 and is down to 155 so he is off a winnable mark but was disappointing on his last couple of runs. Ha D’Or has a nice racing weight and is open to improvement.

Read more of Wednesday’s previews:

'She will be tough to beat' - Brides Hill heads Irish challengers for Listed prize at Perth's opening meeting  

Gaelic Warrior 'the class horse' - but can he overcome strong stayers on first try at three miles?  

'Missing Aintree might have been a blessing' - who will come out on top in the Punchestown Gold Cup?  

A Dream To Share seeks to cap off phenomenal bumper season for John Kiely  

Sign up here. Place a minimum £10 bet on the Sportsbook at odds of minimum 1/2 (1.5) and get £30 in free bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards or Apple Pay will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.