Gordon Elliott reaches for blinkers to aid Teahupoo’s hat-trick bid in the Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown on Thursday.

The nine-year-old has registered emphatic victories in the Grade One contest in each of the past two seasons, but returns to County Kildare on something of a recovery mission after finishing only sixth in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last month.

That rare disappointing effort is the first time Teahupoo has finished outside the first two places in almost three years and his trainer is hoping the application of headgear can see him bounce back to form.

Elliott said: “I wouldn’t say he’s ungenuine, he’s just gone so laid-back and the problem with them staying races is if the pace drops halfway through and you get out of it, it’s hard to get back into it.

“He loves going around Punchestown, which is a help.”

Jack Kennedy missed out on last year’s victory through injury, but has steered Teahupoo to seven of his 14 career victories.

“In the main part of the race, Teahupoo probably just goes to sleep a little bit,” said the jockey.

“The race kind of got away on him a bit (at Cheltenham), so the headgear would just help me in that part of the race to travel a bit better.”

Teahupoo is again joined by fellow Robcour-owned staying star Bob Olinger (Henry de Bromhead), who came out on top when the pair clashed at last year’s Cheltenham Festival and fared the better of the two when third on his return to Prestbury Park last month.

Elliott also saddles Honesty Policy, who was not beaten far into fifth place at Cheltenham and has since finished third in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree.

“Honestly Policy ran a great race at Cheltenham and at Aintree, where he was unlucky not to be second as he got caught up in traffic turning in,” Elliott added.