Tommy Lyons: The Wallpark reaching peak of his powers and ready to brew a Teahupoo upset

He followed up that victory by taking a listed handicap at the Galway festival, won back at the same venue a month later, and then embarked on his first trip to this venue for a Pertemps Qualifier, which he won in great style.

His most recent run came in December, when he visited Ascot to contest the Long Walk Hurdle, and he ran particularly well considering the race was not run to suit him.

He has made impressive progress in a short period and there is no reason to believe he has reached the peak of his powers. If this race turns into a stamina test, which it ought to, he will come into his own and can run down the pacesetters close home.

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Stable companion Teahupoo is the reigning champion and, as is his wont, he comes here fresh, having not run since finding Lossiemouth too good in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle on December 1 at Fairyhouse. With proven class and the recent snow helping to slow the ground just a touch, he has obvious claims.

Lucky Place is progressive and capable of reaching the frame, while Home By The Lee has finished sixth, fifth, and, most recently, third in this race and, on his best day, has strong place claims.

Fact To File can resume winning ways when he drops in trip for the Grade One Ryanair Chase. Willie Mullins’ horse was an easy winner of the Brown Advisory Novice Chase at this meeting in 2024 and made a winning return to action when taking the John Durkan Memorial at Punchestown.

In two subsequent runs, he took on Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase and the Irish Gold Cup and came up shy on both occasions. His trainer, Willie Mullins, remains convinced he can develop into a Gold Cup contender but, for this year, at least, he is tackling the shorter trip of this race.

That can prove a prudent decision as King George runner-up Il Est Francais is likely to make it quite a test, and he can sit just behind the pace and pick off the front runner on the long run up the hill to the winning post. Last year’s winner, Protektorat, returned to winning ways in emphatic style by trouncing his rivals in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Windsor, and he can chase the selection home.

Galileo Dame, despite jumping concerns, has unmistakably strong claims in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. Runner-up in a listed race on the Flat, she jumped poorly on her hurdling debut and despite that she found only Wendrock too good.

Audaciously stepped up to Grade One company for her second start, she again left plenty of room for improvement in her jumping but finished well to push Triumph Hurdle fancy Hello Neighbour to three parts of a length.

That line of form likely wins this race and running here rather than taking a tilt at the Triumph looks a clever move by connections. Being a four-year-old, she receives a hefty 10lb allowance, and the fact the action moves to the New Course today means there are just two hurdles in the final seven furlongs of the race, meaning it is much less of a jumping test at the business end of the race. That is a huge help to the filly who is plenty hardy enough from her Flat exploits, and that allowance is too much to ignore.

Karoline Banbou, who finished runner-up in a Grade One bumper in her native France, is another to consider seriously. She was beaten on her Irish debut but made no mistake at the second time of asking. Those races can only have served to bring her forward considerably and she is another live player.

The other one worth considering is Sixandahalf, who is a terrific dual-purpose mare. The bumper winner and 94-rated Flat five-year-old could hardly have been more impressive on her hurdling debut when travelling sweetly and quickening up sharply to win a Fairyhouse maiden by 12 lengths. The only potential downside is the fact she has had just one run over hurdles, but she has had enough racing under all codes to be mature enough to deal with this. She will be thereabouts but giving 10lbs to the selection may just prove beyond her.

Jeriko Du Reponet, with cheekpieces on for the first time, has strong claims in the Pertemps, while the progressive Jagwar will take a great deal of beating in the Trustatrader Plate Handicap Chase. The progressive Nine Graces has each-way claims in the Kim Muir, a race in which Music Of Tara can also have a say.

San Salvador makes each-way appeal in the fiercely competitive Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap, a race in which the Terence O’Brien-trained Answer To Kayf cannot be ruled out despite going up considerably for his last-time-out win in Naas.