News & views on Champion Novice Hurdle

Tony Martin launches a two-pronged assault on Friday's Cathal Ryan Memorial Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown through Benefficient and Dedigout.

Benefficient is already a Grade One winner, having caused a major surprise when taking the Deloitte Novices' Hurdle at Leopardstown in February as a 50-1 shot.

He could not follow that up in the Neptune at Cheltenham, weakening into 10th, and must again face Willie Mullins' Felix Yonger, the only horse to get anywhere near the impressive Simonsig that day.

Dedigout has been making stealthy progress, taking third behind Monksland in the Slaney Novice Hurdle at Naas and getting his head in front again in a Fairyhouse handicap earlier this month.

"They are both entitled to be there on form and you'd hope they'd run good races," said Martin.

"Three out at Cheltenham he (Benefficient) was going towards the front and I thought he was going to finish in the first four of five but he just folded, for whatever reason.

"He seems well and right at home so we'll come back and run again.

"He's a good moving horse but he won on bad ground at Navan before Christmas and it's the same for the rest of them."

Of Dedigout, Martin said: "He won a handicap the last day, but he won his maiden nicely at Punchestown on bad ground, then he ran very well at Navan behind Monksland.

"The horse is in good form and you'd be hopeful he could run well in this."

Felix Yonger has thrived since owner Graham Wylie moved him to the care of Mullins this season and is also a Grade Two winner at Naas.

"The ground will obviously be a little more testing than I would have preferred," said Mullins, who won this race with Mikael d'Haguenet in 2009 and many more times previously.

"Provided he handles it all right and is able to repeat his Cheltenham run then I think he can run a big race."

Barry Geraghty has picked up the ride on the Michael Winters-trained Rebel Fitz, who has not been seen since finishing second in the Monksfield Novice Hurdle at Navan in late November.

"His run behind Mount Benbulben at Navan is good form and a similar effort would see him in with a chance," Geraghty said.

Jessica Harrington has declared recent Fairyhouse scorer Jenari, with Lyreen Legend, Texas Jack and Philip Hobbs' British raider Colour Squadron completing the line-up. The latter fell three from home in Simonsig's race at Aintree.