Barry Connell is looking forward to getting his two big guns back in action at Punchestown this week and first up will be Marine Nationale in tomorrow's William Hill Champion Steeplechase.

The nine-year-old, unbeaten in three runs at the track, won this last year and will wear cheekpieces for the first time.

Connell explained to Dave Keena "We went from thinking that we might have a fancied horse for the Champion Hurdle and the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, from a small little yard here with 15 or 16 riding out, and ended up without a runner in either race!

"But now with Punchestown coming up, we're looking forward to both horses.

"William Munny is back in action and he goes for the Champion Hurdle on Friday

"With Marine Nationale, having missed Cheltenham is probably going to be a plus in that he tends to run really well fresh."

Marine Nationale takes on four Willie Mullins-trained rivals including Majborough who thrashed Connell's charge by 19 lengths at the DRF, before being let down by his jumping when unplaced behind stablemate Il Etait Temps in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Regarding the latter, Mullins told Dave Keena "A lot of people probably put a line through him after his fall at Ascot, and I wasn't so sure myself what way I felt, but we had been aiming for the Champion Chase all season, so we just set about making sure that his confidence was back.

"Anyhow, whatever happened, it worked and he was just thrilling to watch in that race."