Can Echoes In Rain curb her free-going ways in Grade 2 novice hurdle?

3.00 Naas
Paddy Power Betting Shop Novice Hurdle (Grade 2) | 1m7½f | 4yo+ | RTV

The last time Willie Mullins won this Grade 2 was back in 2013 when he was solely represented by a mare and the champion trainer will bid to do just that again.

The brilliant Annie Power claimed the prize that year from Grade 1-winning novice chaser Defy Logic, Gold Cup hero Don Cossack, admirable Graded performer Moscow Mannon, dual top-level scorer The Tullow Tank and American Grade 1 winner Diplomat.

Although this running lacks that star quality, Mullins looks to have every chance of hitting the target again with the free-going Echoes In Rain, who ran creditably when fourth to Dreal Deal at Punchestown last month considering her early exertions.

Echoes In Rain has won at Naas previously and has more pace than the useful Streets Of Doyen, a lively outsider for next month's Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham and the highest-rated runner here.

Expect Streets Of Doyen to improve for this outing on softer ground than ideal, but should this turn into a real stamina test, he is bound to be knocking on the door late on.

The Noel Meade-trained Jesse Evans is more talented than his heavy Christmas defeat to Appreciate It suggests and it wouldn't be a shock if he bounced back to his previously useful form.

Jesse Evans: looked a potentially classy hurdler when winning earlier this seasonCredit: Alain Barr (racingpost.com/photos)

Razzle Dazzle Love didn't disgrace herself in a competitive Dublin Racing Festival handicap and has the potential to step up again, while Belfast Banter wouldn't have been suited by how the race unfolded at Musselburgh last time and is capable of better.

What they say

John McConnell, trainer of Streets Of Doyen
He hasn't run since winning at Cheltenham in October, but it was always the plan to give him a break. He had five runs in roughly six and a half weeks and he doesn't like heavy ground, so we were happy to give him the winter off. He's entered in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham.

Noel Meade, trainer of Jesse Evans
He's a nice horse and he'll be all right, but very heavy ground might be a problem. This will give us an idea of where we are. The top-rated horse is rated 135 and other than him, there's nothing much rated higher than our horse, and a couple with no rating, so we’ll see where he fits in. We were a bit disappointed with what he did at Leopardstown, but it was Grade 1 company and that’s what can happen.

Tom Gibney, trainer of Razzle Dazzle Love
The race has turned out to be very suitable for her on paper and if she runs as well as she can, then hopefully she'll have a good chance. She has no problem with very testing ground.

Willie Mullins, trainer of Echoes In Rain
She ran well at Punchestown last month and had previously won well over this course and distance. She has a nice light weight and we're hoping she can get back to winning ways.

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