Irish Weekend Preview: A Champagne moment in the Slaney?

Champagne Fever won the Champion Bumper at last year's Festival

Timeform's Irish Editor Stuart Jones looks at the card at Naas on Sunday, focussing on the Grade 2 Slaney Hurdle.

After a hectic Festive period which featured some top-class action, it'the calm after the storm in Ireland this weekend, though there is still some quality action taking place at Naas on Sunday, the feature event being the Grade 2 Slaney Hurdle.

Champagne Fever looks sure to go off favourite for that two-and-a-half-mile contest and it will be a surprise if he doesn't enhance his Neptune Novices' Hurdle claims with success in this. Last year's Champion Bumper winner lost nothing in defeat when chasing home Jezki in the Royal Bond on just his second start over hurdles, jumping well but lacking the turn of foot of the winner.  The form of that race has been franked since with the winner following up in another Grade 1 at Leopardstown, whilst Zuzka was impressive when landing a competitive Grade 3 Mares event at the same course later in the week, and the extra half mile looks sure to bring about further improvement from Willie Mullins' representative.

The Dessie Hughes-trained Minsk is the second top-rated, but he was somewhat disappointing in the aforementioned Royal Bond at Fairyhouse, finishing over five lengths behind Champagne Fever on that occasion. It's hard to see him finding the requisite improvement to reverse that form on Sunday, and it could well be that Rule The World will prove to be the biggest threat to the favourite. 

A winner of two of his first three starts over hurdles, Rule the World continued his rapid progression when beating Joncol readily in a novice at Navan last time, impressing with how he travelled through the race and in command from the last. He fully deserves to take his chance back in graded company and remains open to further improvement.

Of the remainder, Sizing Jo'Burg won a Downpatrick maiden hurdle last time and is capable of better, though he looks up against it at this level. Similar comments apply to Captain Arceus and Joncol, both of whom need to find massive improvement to feature. 

The two-mile chase earlier on the card warrants a mention given there are some useful sorts on show, perhaps the most exciting of which is another Willie Mullins runner, Marito. 

Unexposed after just the three runs for Ireland's Champion Trainer, Marito looked an exciting prospect when bolting up in a maiden at Thurles on his chasing debut, jumping well and pulling eleven lengths clear of subsequent winner He'llberemembered. He quickly made up into a useful hurdler in just two starts last term and has bags of untapped potential. 

His biggest threats look to be Mount Benbulben and Jenari, but whilst both of those reached a useful level over timber, neither have made a particularly smooth transition to the larger obstacles, both failing to complete in a Grade 1 event at Leopardstown over Christmas. They'll need to brush up on their jumping if they are to peg back Marito over the minimum trip. 

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