Hilly Way Chase is jumps highlight of the season at Cork Racecourse on Sunday

THE Hilly Way Chase is the jumps highlight of the season at Cork Racecourse and a bumper crowd is expected to see the Cheltenham Champion Chase favourite El Fabiola on Sunday. 

Previous winners of the race include the brilliant Beef Or Salmon who completed back to back victories in the race while the O’Leary family’s familiar red and white colours enjoyed a three-in-a-row with Golden Silver. 

Douvan was another superstar to win this while the magnificent Un De Sceaux for the O’Connells also triumphed at the north Cork venue.

Unfortunately, Energumene is unable to defend his title but the Willie Mullins team have his heir apparent El Fabiolo which is a brilliant treat for national hunt fans down south.

The John Durkan Chase meeting at Punchestown was brought forward by a couple of weeks which makes the Hilly Way Chase card the only national hunt meeting in Ireland on Sunday. 

All the leading trainers in the country will have runners here including Gordon Elliot who is enjoying a brilliant run of late while Willie Mullins and Henry De Bromhead are sure to have plenty of high profile runners.

All the leading riders including Paul Townend, Rachael Blackmore, Jack Kennedy, JJ Slevin and local hero’s Darragh O’Keeffe and Michael O’Sullivan will also be in attendance.

While the three time Grade 1 winner El Fabiolo is the star attraction there are a number of fascinating opponents entered for the race including Gavin Cromwell’s Aintree Grand National runner-up Vanillier.

The eight-year-old may begin his season over the minimum trip on Sunday having run a gallant race in the most famous marathon jump race last season. 

Gordon Elliot and Jack Kennedy are on the crest of a wave right now with Fil Dor and Riviere D’etel possible runners to give red-hot trainer further success. 

Elliott is looking to add the Hilly Way Chase to races such as the Troytown Chase, the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle which he has won in recent weeks.

Henry de Bromhead may also be double-handed with Jungle Boogie possibly making his first start for the trainer on his return from a 708-day break, while Cheltenham Festival winner Maskada is de Bromhead’s other inclusion.

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Paul Townend always relishes his trips back home and he will be hoping El Fabiola puts in a clean round of jumping and finish the year unbeaten after winning the Arkle Novice Chase in emphatic fashion at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.

There is plenty of quality in the undercard with the Grade 2 O’Flynn Group Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase, which will have a small but select field. 

Willie Mullins is again the trainer with the most intriguing entry as Grade 1 juvenile hurdler Zenta is entered to make her chasing debut. The four-year-old was third in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham before going on to score at Grade 1 level at Aintree. 

The third graded race on the card is the Singletons Supervalu Stayers Novice Hurdle (Grade 3) which also has a number of high profile entries including the Gordon Elliot pair Better Days Ahead and Croke Park while the Mullins team have Lecky Watson and What Path.

Finally, there were a couple of notable performances to catch the eye at the Fairyhouse Festival last weekend. 

Corbetts Cross was formally trained by Eugene O’Sullivan before being sold to JP McManus before Cheltenham in March. He was running a blinder in the Albert Bartlett before running out at the last hurdle when well in contention. 

He is now trained by Emmet Mullins and he enjoyed his first victory over fences last Saturday. His odds were reduced for both staying chases at Cheltenham on the back of this victory and he looks a horse to follow for the season.

The Gordon Elliot-trained Teahupoo was the other major eye-catcher and he is now the clear favourite for the Stayers Hurdle after just being touched off in last years renewal. 

On this occasion he defeated the odds-on favourite Impaire Et Passe to win the Grade 1 Hattons Grace Hurdle.

Interestingly the winning trainer surprised many seasoned observers by revealing connections are going straight to Cheltenham without another run. Elliot said: "The plan is to go straight for the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. 

"We might have knocked the edge off him by running him at the end of January at Gowran last year and, when you look at the competition in England, it looks like we might have the stronger hand this season."