Willie Mullins’ now nine-year-old was one of the top chasers in 2021 and 2022, and while there are some decent sorts in opposition, he should be capable of dealing with them.

At his best, he is a brilliant jumper capable of going a gallop which few can match and while he won’t be at that level Thursday, he is far enough ahead of his rivals to believe he can make a winning return from his long lay-off.

Stablemate Janidil is the highest rated of his rivals but is giving 5lbs to the selection. As a punting medium he is an unreliable sort, and thus French Dynamite may give Allaho most to think about.

There are numerous interesting sorts in the I.N.H. Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle, but Irish Panther sets quite a high standard with what he achieved in bumpers and can make a winning start over timber.

Edward O’Grady’s horse made his track debut in December and ran up behind the well-regarded Fact To File. He finished a close third behind Ballyburn on his second start, and a close second behind Walk Away Harry on his third and final bumper outing.

While he has never won a race, each of those lines of form has real merit to it and if he can translate it to jumping, he will be hard to beat. Farren Glory is an interesting rival, though he is conceding 8lbs to all of his rivals. Harveys Point, who is having his first run for Colm Murphy, is another worth considering, while market support for either of Henry de Bromhead’s runners, Doonbeg Don and Ballybrack Wood, would be interesting.

De Bromhead’s Theatre Native is hard to oppose in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle. A faller at the last when clear in her only point-to-point, she was heavily backed to make a winning track debut in a listed bumper and while she was beaten, she finished a good fourth behind Tiger Bay Queen. An exciting sort, she won’t have to improve much, if at all, to deal with Thursday’s rivals.