Champion racehorse, Montjeu, could be set to return to action in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh next month.
The brilliant Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, who also completed the French and Irish Derby double at the Curragh last summer, has an alternative engagement in Epsom's Coronation Cup but Montjeu's trainer John Hammond is far from ruling out an early season treat for Irish race fans.
'It will be one or the other and it's very possible we'll go to the Curragh,' said Hammond yesterday.
The Group One Tattersalls race is run over 10 furlongs on May 28th which is short of Montjeu's mile and a half optimum but could fit in ideally with plans for the colt's four year old career.
'It might be nice to leave him a little shorter first time out because he had a long year last season and the plan has always been to leave things later this time,' said Hammond.
'Wherever he goes, his second race will be the Grand Prix de St Cloud,' added the Chantillybased trainer who admitted that ground will also play a part in deciding where Montjeu reappears.
The son of Sadler's Wells relished cut in the ground as a three-year-old where the highlight was a thrilling defeat of El Condor Pasa in the Arc.
Although he could subsequently finish only third in the Japan Cup, Montjeu achieved a rating of 135 which only Daylami could emulate. Daylami could finish only second in the Tattersalls Gold Cup last year behind Shiva.
Before all that is next week's Punchestown Festival which will feature on Tuesday the return of Noel Meade's Cheltenham winner Sausalito Bay in the Grade One Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.
'I couldn't be happier with him. He's in great form and he worked brilliantly at Fairyhouse the other day,' said Meade of his Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner.
The Co Meath trainer will be represented by Oa Baldixe and the Fairyhouse winner Boley Lad in the Stanley Cooker Novice Hurdle on Wednesday, where Youlneverwalkalone is also due to run, although Charlie Swan's No Discount has an alternative engagement option in Thursday's Ballymore Stayers Hurdle.
The latter race is the target of the Cheltenham Stayers' hero Bacchanal whose trainer Nicky Henderson may also run Mister Banjo against the Triumph Hurdle placed General Cloney in the IAWS Hurdle, also on Thursday.
