Former Gold Cup hero Windermere looks to bounce back

3.30 Fairyhouse
At The Races Bobbyjo Chase (Grade 3) | 3m1f | 5yo+ | ATR

The 2016 Gold Cup winner has been retired and cannot defend his title. The 2015 winner is injured and won't be reclaiming it either, but could the 2014 victor be back to try to regain the crown he won in such dramatic fashion?

Much will depend on how Lord Windermere gets on here as the 11-year-old bids for a first success since that memorable triumph almost three years ago.

He looked a shadow of his former self when not getting involved in the Lexus last time but there was more spark shown in a Listed contest at Thurles in November, when Champagne Fever denied him by a head. He is entered for the Timico-backed Gold Cup but surely only victory will earn him a trip back to the scene of his most famous success.

Baie Des Iles is a mud-lover who ploughed through heavy ground to win a Grand National trial at Punchestown this month. The deeper the ground, the more effective she is, and Ross O'Sullivan has opted to come here instead of tackling the 4m½f Eider Chase at Newcastle for which she was allocated top weight.

Bryan Cooper has opted to ride Wounded Warrior out of the Gigginstown-owned trio and Noel Meade's charge is another that will relish underfoot conditions.

The 2015 Irish Grand National winner Thunder And Roses is back at his favourite hunting ground, while top-weight Roi Des Francs completes the Gigginstown challenge – the owners opted not to run Gold Cup-bound Don Poli.

Robbie's got the Power

Robbie Power has been on board My Murphy for his last four victories and he renews his partnership with the 2016 Thyestes winner for the first time this season.

What they say

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Roi Des Francs
He has been disappointing this season and I was hoping he might have finished a bit closer in the Grand National Trial Baie Des Iles won at Punchestown. Having to give weight away to everything is a tough ask in such a competitive race.

Liam Burke, trainer of My Murphy
He's been a bit disappointing this year but I'm hoping that having Robbie [Power] back on board might spark a bit of a revival. He won the Thyestes on him last year and gets on great with him. He didn't jump well last time but hopefully will show more here.

Noel Meade, trainer of Wounded Warrior
The soft ground will suit him and he seems to be in very good form. He's been inclined to race a bit lazily of late so that's why I've decided to put a pair of blinkers on him. I'm hoping they'll waken him up.

Ross O'Sullivan, trainer of Baie Des Iles
We've been lucky again with the weather as it's rained plenty this week and it looks as though she'll get her favourite conditions. I was thrilled with her at Punchestown and she has come out of the race in great nick. She's eaten up well and has had 20 days to recover. I'm glad to see Don Poli not declared, although there are a few in there you'd still be afraid of. We were thinking of running in the Eider but she'd have had top-weight; the conditions of this suited much better.