Dual Grade One winner The Tullow Tank makes his long-awaited return to action in the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle at Tipperary on Saturday.
The Barry Connell-owned eight-year-old won both the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse and the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown back in 2013 before chasing home the brilliant Vautour at the same venue in early 2014.
Transferred from Philip Fenton to Dessie Hughes, he made a flying start to his career over fences the following season, but endured a disappointing winter in the care of the late trainer's daughter, Sandra, before signing off on a positive note when narrowly denied by Gilgamboa in last year's Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse.
The Tullow Tank missed the whole of the last campaign through injury, but makes his comeback and first start for trainer Alan Fleming in this weekend's Grade Three contest.
Connell said: "As long as the ground is suitable the intention is to run and it will be good to get him going.
"He hasn't had one specific problem, it's just been a number of issues we've wanted to sort out before we brought him back and hopefully we have.
"It will be a fact-finding mission more than anything. Hopefully he retains plenty of ability, but I'm sure he'll be a bit rusty.
"It's a nice race to start him back in and it's a case of dipping our toe in the water again and seeing how we go."
The Tullow Tank features in an 11-strong field, with Willie Mullins triple-handed in a bid to win the prize for the third year in succession.
Ivan Grozny is the chosen mount of stable jockey Ruby Walsh, with Paul Townend riding Sempre Medici and Danny Mullins aboard the admirable veteran Thousand Stars.
Other contenders include the Joseph O'Brien-trained Plinth and Colin Kidd's four-year-old Rashaan.
The bumper eight-race card is made up of five Flat races and three over jumps and the main event on the level is the Excelebration Tipperary Stakes.
The five-furlong Listed event has attracted a field of 12 runners, including Mick Halford's Yulong Baobei, who was last seen finishing seventh in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot, and Michael O'Callaghan's Railway Stakes sixth Mirdif.
John Murphy is quietly confident about the chances of Confrontational.
The Footstepsinthesand in the colt was pitched into Listed company on his debut at the Curragh in May, finishing sixth in a race won by subsequent Coventry winner Caravaggio, before opening his account at Down Royal last month.
"As long as the ground is in no way dead he's going to take his chance and he's in great shape," said Murphy.
"He's a horse we've always thought an awful lot of. He's got loads of pace, so the track and trip will suit him and we're looking forward to running him.
"We think he's pretty good."
