Three Irish horses to follow from the weekend's action: 'Holds an entry in the Triumph'

Irish action came from Gowran Park and Punchestown over the weekend with testing conditions the order of the day on both cards.

With the Cheltenham Festival now a little over three weeks away, we've picked out three weekend runners that might be worth following should they turn up at the Cotswolds showpiece next month.

Impaire Et Passe returns with full marks

The Grade 2 Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park on Saturday was won by Impaire Et Passe for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend, the odds-on favourite ridden with confidence and produced in the final strides to take over from long-time leader Sa Fureur under Jack Kennedy for Gordon Elliott.

It was the first run for Impaire Et Passe since he was brought down in the Dooley Insurance Group Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown back in the spring.

He had previously taken Grade 1s at Limerick and Aintree last season as a novice and was a three-time scorer at the top level over hurdles too.

An intermediate trip appears his best now, and the Ryanair Chase looks his best option come Cheltenham, where he also holds a Gold Cup entry.

Mullins has last year's winner Fact To File and Gaelic Warrior in the antepost betting for the Ryanair but both appear more likely to head for the Gold Cup.

Impaire Et Passe was successful over 2m5f in his Grade 1 novice hurdle win on his only previous Cheltenham start and could be an intriguing option for the champion trainer and top owners Simon Munir & Isaac Souede in what threatens to be a wide open Ryanair renewal if those stars opt for the Blue Riband instead.

Madness d'Elle going the right way

Mullins and Townend also took the opener on Saturday with Madness d'Elle for Rich and Susannah Ricci.

The French import was second-best in a Punchestown maiden last month on his stable debut behind the Joseph O'Brien-trained Kilmeaden.

He improved on that effort and went one better despite the race being run at a sedate pace with Madness d'Elle forced to make the running on testing ground.

Gigginstown-owned runner-up Madoir De Mirande kept him honest late on, with the pair a long way clear of everything else.

Madness d'Elle holds an entry in the Triumph Hurdle — a race Mullins has won five times in the last six year, including with Vauban and Lossiemouth in the Ricci silks.

"We were going so slow it gave [him] too much time to think. When I got him down and started racing, he jumped fine and his experience helped," said Townend of his Gowran Park win.

Pure Steel adds to Mangan's firepower

Jimmy Mangan, the 2003 Grand National-winning trainer, is now into his veteran stages but he's having an Indian summer.

He's got Spillane's Tower all set to have a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup and on Sunday he saw Pure Steel delivering in the same JP McManus silks in the Noel Byrne Memorial Rated Novice Chase at Punchestown.

He put a disappointing run last month in the rear view mirror and justified short odds for the Conna trainer in the hands of Mark Walsh.

The partnership took a lead from Relieved Of Duties before assuming control on the home bend and stretching clear on the run-in for a facile 12-length victory.

The former point-to-point winner is no certainty to head for any of the Cheltenham novices, with designs perhaps focused on the WillowWarm Gold Cup on Easter Sunday at Fairyhouse instead, but wherever he shows up this spring, he looks set to be another string to the bow of the 70-year-old Cork trainer.