There are some decent sorts in opposition, including Imagine, Inothewayurthinkin, Path D'oroux, and An Epic Song, but the selection is a leading prospect for the season ahead and his class can come to the fore. Imagine also gives the impression he will prove much better over fences than he was over hurdles and should not be dismissed lightly.

Only four have been declared for the Fairyhouse Membership 2024 Hurdle but only two count, and Absolute Notions ought to be extremely hard to beat despite conceding race-fitness to the useful Joyeux Machin.

Gordon Elliott’s horse won the Goffs Land Rover bumper in April of last year and, off a summer break, made a winning debut over hurdles at Punchestown. Next time out, he was beaten favourite when third behind subsequent Grade One winner Inthepocket and followed that with a runner-up finish to Good Land in a Grade One. He was pulled up on his final start of the season but that is easily forgiven.

A lightly-raced five-year-old, he remains a bright prospect and given that he is officially 6lbs superior to Joyeux Machin and, with Danny Gilligan’s 5lb claim taken into account, is in receipt of 9lbs from that rival, he is impossible to oppose.

C’est Rien is a long-standing maiden but can gain a long overdue victory by taking the Baroneracing.com Winter Festival Handicap Hurdle. Tom Mullins’ mare had some promising form in bumpers and in her early starts over hurdles, but her form took a dip in the middle part of this year.

On her last two outings, however, she showed a little more and now looks ready to strike. The first of those runs was over two miles and the more recent over almost three miles and, on evidence of both, this two-and-a-half-mile trip should be ideal. She can take this at the expense of Quornofamonday, Papa Barns, and Blackjack Boy.