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Rashaan returns to Down Royal

Rashaan winning at Down RoyalRashaan winning at Down Royal
© Photo Healy Racing

Rashaan returns to the scene of his greatest triumph when lining up again at Down Royal on Friday evening.

Colin Kidd's stable star lowered the colours of top-class performers Apple's Jade and Petit Mouchoir on his last visit to the northern course when taking the WKD Hurdle last November.

The five-year-old struggled into top company himself at both Aintree and Punchestown but looks to have found a nice opportunity back at 'the maze'.

He comes into the Mount Charles Hurdle in winning form, having gained a hard-fought victory on the level at Clonmel early last month.

The handicapper has him rated clear best off a mark of 146, and he looks the obvious one to beat in the two-and-a-half-mile contest.

Next best at the weights would appear to be Marinero, who has 9lb to find on official terms.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding will be hoping a switch back to the smaller obstacles sparks a return to somewhere near his best after his form over fences tailed off towards the end of last season.

Fagan is an interesting runner for Gordon Elliott. The seven-year-old was runner-up in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham back in March 2016 but has obviously had his issues since.

He was pulled up over fences on his return to action at Fairyhouse in January and has a few questions to answer now.

The feature race on the card is the tote.com Galway Plate Trial and Sandymount Duke looks to have conditions to suit again in the two-and-a-half-mile contest.

Jessica Harrington's charge was impressive on a similarly sound surface at Punchestown last time when beating Hidden Cyclone and Sadler's Risk.

He has been given a 16lb hike since that run and returns to handicap company now.

Good ground on a big galloping track is right up his street, however, and connections will be hoping he can overcome that rise.

Five of the nine runners are out of the handicap proper but most by just a pound or two.

Hello Sweetie comes into the race in fine form having scored on her last two outings and could be a big threat off her feather-weight off a mark just a pound wrong.

Is She Diesel also bids for a hat-trick in the opening www.thetote.com Mares Hurdle and has to give weight away to all her rivals.

She went up to a mark of 120 after her quick back-to-back successes at Ballinrobe late last month and looks sure to make a bold bid to defy her hike.