Elliott hoping Brigante can grab glory

Gordon Elliott is confident Carlito Brigante can open his account in Grade One company in Saturday's Airshow 100 Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown.

Two successes at Musselburgh and an impressive defeat of Alaivan at Leopardstown meant he was sent off favourite for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and he was far from disgraced in finishing fourth.

Elliott hopes the application of blinkers and the likely quicker ground will see his charge return to the winner's enclosure this weekend.

"The blinkers will definitely sharpen him up and he's in good nick, so as long as we don't get too much rain he should run a big race," said Elliott.

"He ran a good race at Cheltenham considering the ground was too soft for him and he came out of it very well.

"I couldn't be happier with him at the moment and he shouldn't be far away."

Evan Williams saddles Triumph Hurdle runner-up Barizan, who went on to finish second to Orsippus at Aintree earlier this month.

Orsippus also makes the trip to Ireland to renew rivalries, while the British challenge is completed by Alan King's Gilded Age.

Cross Appeal, Loch Long, Sweet My Lord, Ambitious Fan and Fingal Rock complete the field.

Evan Williams hopes Barizan can gain a deserved win after filling the runner-up spot in Grade One company twice in a row.

"He's obviously had a hard couple of months and it's difficult to say how fresh he is, we'd be silly to guess," said Williams.

"He's a bit of a character and always seems a little bit perky anyway.

"He did have a mid-winter break, so it's not as though he's been on the go all season.

"It is a tough ask to run in three Grade Ones in such a short space of time and we'd be very naive if we came here with anything more than just the hope of running well again.

"Anything more than that is a bonus and he's been fantastic for us this year.

"Tony McCoy has obviously ridden him the most but he's unavailable as he's going to Sandown, Tom O'Brien rode him at Cheltenham and he's going to Sandown as well and the plan had been for Paul (Moloney) to ride him.

"But he got a bad bang on his knee in a fall at Uttoxeter on Thursday so he's going to miss it, which is unfortunate as he deserved to ride him.

"That's racing though and we've got Jason Maguire to ride, who has only ridden one or two for us in the past but is in great form."

Orsippus' trainer Michael Smith has just seven horses in his care and admits anything his star turn achieves this weekend will be a bonus following his Aintree win.

"I'm still on cloud nine after Aintree to be honest and I don't want to come down," said Smith.

"The horse is in good form and travelled over well. Davy Condon gave him an exercise this morning and everything seems fine.

"This horse has already given me everything I could have wished for and more and anything he does now really is a bonus.

"He seems to have taken the Aintree race well, as he did after finishing third at Cheltenham in the Fred Winter the time before.

"On form he must have a good chance again but I am just concerned about how much water they are going to put on as this horse just wants good ground, which is what it should be with the weather we've had.

"A few of the jockeys were saying it was riding soft on Thursday, which wouldn't be ideal, so hopefully they leave the taps off now."

Gilded Age has his first start since finishing sixth in the Triumph Hurdle and King believes his charge is still open to plenty of improvement.

"He ran a really nice race in the Triumph but after going such a strong pace he just didn't get home up the hill," said the Barbury Castle handler.

"The Fred Winter was the plan really but he missed the cut and while he might not have beaten the winner, he would have to have gone close off his mark.

"I'm certain we haven't seen the best of him yet and he'll be a really nice horse next year."