Newmill proved his Cheltenham victory was no fluke when signing off for the season with an equally emphatic win in the Punchestown Festival equivalent, and all roads now lead to the Cotswolds for a defence of his two mile chasing crown.

Murphy has been adamant since the start of the season that he wouldn't run his stable star on very testing ground and is on record as stating that it wouldn't worry him if Newmill went straight to Cheltenham without the benefit of a preparatory run over fences.

In contrast, Nickname has the edge on fitness at this stage and Martin Brassil's charge can also be expected to be mentally sharper as the winner of three of his four starts this season. On his most recent outing in the Normans Grove Chase at Fairyhouse two weeks ago Nickname trounced Justified by 15 lengths, and he also left Central House and Watson Lake trailing in his wake.

"He ran very well last time and, if he has improved like I think he has, he should be there or there-abouts at Punchestown, " said Brassil.

Tom Taaffe's Hilly Way Chase hero Tumbling Dice could be the one to chase Nickname home.

There is another intriguing clash in store earlier in the day between Michael O'Brien's De Valira and the Tommy Stack-trained Perce Rock in the Grade 2 Byrne Group Plc Novice Hurdle.

De Valira is currently quoted at 6/1 for the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham and he further enhanced his reputation with a game win over Catch Me at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting. Preference, however, is for the J.P. McManusowned Perce Rock who finished fourth behind Hairy Molly in last year's Cheltenham bumper and lost little in defeat to Silverburn at Sandown last month.

Racing also takes place at Limerick where Conor O'Dwyer has a good chance of completing a treble through Perce Rock's stable-companion Disclosure, Midnight Gift and Ponmeoath.