Matthew Smith hoping freshness can be the key to Ronald Pump in Stayers' Hurdle

Matthew Smith believes a reproduction of Ronald Pump's second to Honeysuckle in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle from earlier this season would put his stable star in the picture for next month's Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle, a race in which he will attempt to go one better than 12 months ago.

The €1,000 bargain buy got within half a length of the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle heroine at Fairyhouse in the Bar One Racing-backed Grade 1 in November.

He missed his intended Christmas assignment due to a stone bruise, but Smith intends to have his eight-year-old in prime condition for the Cheltenham by going straight to the festival.

Having chased home Lisnagar Oscar at 20-1 in last year's Stayers' Hurdle, the Laois Limerick Syndicate-owned performer is priced between 12-1 and 16-1 this time around.

"The plan is for him to go straight there," said Smith. "He's 100 per cent, in good order, and we're happy to keep him fresh for March. He goes well fresh."

Ronald Pump: was running creditably when falling at the last in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan in NovemberCredit: Patrick McCann

The County Meath trainer doesn't necessarily view Honeysuckle's commanding Dublin Racing Festival triumph as a direct boost to Ronald Pump's form, but the victory has certainly not dented any confidence in the camp.

"It was a very different race to the Hatton's Grace and you can't take Honeysuckle's run at the weekend in the same context," he explained.

"It was a great run at Fairyhouse and you'd be hoping that if he gets there in that sort of form, he'll run a big race. It's a strong division, there's plenty of good ones in there. If our horse runs to his best then hopefully he'll run a big race."

The possible fields for the Cheltenham Festival's championship races were refined on Wednesday morning and although JP McManus saw former festival hero Defi Du Seuil scratched from the Betway Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase, his Dublin Racing Festival second Fakir D'oudairies is still in contention for those Grade 1s.

Fakir D'Oudairies: entered in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham FestivalCredit: Patrick McCann

"We'll see how it pans out closer to the time," said McManus' racing manager Frank Berry on possible Cheltenham targets.

He added of the Joseph O'Brien-trained six-year-old's second to Chacun Pour Soi last Saturday: "It was nice to see him back to himself. He wasn't good enough for the winner but ran well."

McManus has one of the leading contenders for the new Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase at Cheltenham in the shape of Elimay, priced between 3-1 and 4-1 for that Grade 2 target.

The Willie Mullins-trained grey, who ran with credit when receiving just 2lb from Allaho in Grade 2 company at Thurles last month, holds an entry for the Listed BBA Ireland Limited Opera Hat Mares Chase at Naas on Saturday.

"The plan is for Elimay to run at Naas," said Berry. "It looked a good run from her on the day at Thurles, she jumped well and put up a good performance so hopefully she's in the same sort of good form this weekend."

Gypsy Island: one of the most impressive bumper mares in recent seasonsCredit: Patrick McCann

McManus's Gypsy Island missed the 2019-20 season due to a reportedly small fracture on a hind leg when ante-post favourite for last year's Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle, and the sublime talent is a general 8-1 shot for this year's running.

However, the Listed and Grade 3 bumper winner, whose only defeat came at the expense of Arkle scorer Put The Kettle On in a Naas maiden hurdle in November 2018, hasn't been seen since the 2019 Punchestown festival.

Berry said: "She's okay. We're hopeful to have more news on her in the next couple of weeks. There's no timeframe on her at the minute, we'll see how she is in a couple of weeks."

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