Joy Back In The Groove

Jessica Harrington hopes Macs Joy can return to the same form he was in when winning last year's ACCBank Champion Hurdle as connections prepare for a repeat bid.

The eight-year-old beat Brave Inca by four lengths at Punchestown last April but has only been seen twice since.

He made his seasonal debut in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle and finished a respectable third but was then turned over by Newmill at Gowran.

Macs Joy was subsequently found to have pulled a muscle which ruled him out of the Cheltenham Festival but Harrington reports him to be fighting fit again.

'I've been very happy with him. He was absolutely fine by the time I got back from Cheltenham,' said the County Kildare handler.

'He's been in work ever since and he appears to be in great form. He loves this time of year.

'He was very good that day (when he won the ACCBank Champion Hurdle) and if I can get him back in to that sort of form he will make them all go ? including Sublimity.

'I think he prefers this time of year because of the better weather and the better ground and he seems to save himself for the spring.'

Harrington also had news of Champion Bumper winner Cork All Star, who may be seen on the level this summer.

'He seems in good form since he came back from Cheltenham but had an easy week when he came back,' she told At The Races.

'He goes out in the field every afternoon and gets ridden every morning.

'We will take Punchestown first and then see what happens (with regards to running on the Flat).'

(C) PA Sport