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Douvan heads Punchestown Novice Hurdle entries

Douvan was one of Willie Mullins' stars at Cheltenham
Douvan was one of Willie Mullins' stars at Cheltenham

Douvan, exceptional winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, heads 18 entries for the Grade One Herald Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on 28 April.

The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old could bid to emulate his stablemate Faugheen who took this prize last season and has gone on to lift the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Among his potential opponents are stablemates Shaneshill, who was second in the Supreme, and Nichols Canyon, a Grade One winner at Aintree on Saturday.

Newmarket trainer John Ferguson has three entries - Parlour Games, runner-up to Nichols Canyon at Aintree, plus Commissioned and Qewy.

The 20 entries for the Grade One Growise Champion Novice Chase on the same card include the Mullins-trained Don Poli and Vautour, winners of the RSA Chase and JLT Chase at Cheltenham, while Enda Bolger has put in his Ryanair Gold Cup Novice Chase hero Gilgamboa.

Colin Tizzard's Thistlecrack, emphatic winner of the Grade One Sefton Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on Friday, is one of nine British-trained entries for the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle on 29 April.

Lightly-raced Fletchers Flyer, a bumper winner at last year's Punchestown Festival for Harry Fry, is also in the 35-strong list.

Dermot Weld's top-class dual-purpose performer Windsor Park, who followed up a Cheltenham Festival victory with a Flat win at Gowran, could also line up.

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