Tough Test For Limit

Former Coral Cup winner Sky's The Limit is set to tackle some of the best hurdlers around in the Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa Champion Stayers' Hurdle at Punchestown next Thursday.

Edward O'Grady's grey was sent over fences earlier in the season without much success, but showed much more of his old sparkle to chase home Adamant Approach at Fairyhouse last time.

However, already confirmed for the three-mile contest are Mighty Man and Essex, with former champion hurdlers Hardy Eustace and Brave Inca also in the mix.

'It's a bit late in the season to be losing his maiden over fences so we've decided to run him in the Stayers', which unfortunately for him looks like being the race of the meeting. All the top guys are going to run in it,' said O'Grady.

'He's been a bit disappointing, he went lame in his shoulder in January just after he did a superb piece of work.

'He's had to miss everything up to now, but we got a run back in to him the other day and I was reasonably pleased.

'He ran up to him mark and a very good horse beat him in Adamant Approach, regardless of his age,' he told At The Races.

'It would be unreasonable to expect him to topple the big guns, but I expect him to run very well.'

(C) PA Sport