Willie Mullins sprung something of a surprise when he listed Gaelic Warrior amongst the entries for the Aintree Bowl on day one of the Grand National Meeting.
It would be a first start at a distance in excess of three-miles for last season's Arkle winner, who missed Cheltenham this season after fluffing his lines at the Dublin Racing Festival.
Can Gaelic Warrior rebound on Merseyside for Mullins and owner Rich Ricci?
Warrior a surprise contender for Aintree battle
Mullins is no stranger to providing a shock when it comes to where his horses are targeted and so it was with mild surprise that Gaelic Warrior featured amongst the entries for the Grade 1 Aintree Bowl on Thursday.
It shouldn't be forgotten that Gaelic Warrior is still just a seven-year-old, despite appearing at his first Cheltenham Festival in 2022.
He was second to Brazil that season in the Fred Winter and would go on to win four of his next five over timber, including a silver medal behind stablemate Impaire Et Passe as a novice back in the Cotswolds in 2023.
Over fences last season he peaked with his demolition job in the Arkle at Cheltenham, making it 3-3 in completed starts over fences at that point, but he hasn't managed to win any of his three starts since.
He was a three-mile Grade 1-winning novice hurdler at Punchestown in 2023 and it could be very interesting to see what he has to offer at Aintree.
Bouncing back from the DRF
At the Dublin Racing Festival in 2024, Gaelic Warrior turned in a turgid performance as Fact To File bossed him before he unseated Paul Townend when beaten jumping the last in what was a two-runner Grade 1.
From there he went to Cheltenham and confounded his doubters by showing his Arkle rivals a clean pair of hooves.
Now he's facing the same poser again, after running a disappointing third in a first-time tongue-tie behind Solness at the DRF this season.
After that, plans to head for Cheltenham were shelved but, pointedly, assistant trainer Patrick Mullins was one to suggest that Gaelic Warrior should not be written off in haste.
He's been given time to get over that Leopardstown run and it is worth recalling how he routed his rivals in the Grade 1 Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle at Punchestown two seasons ago in his only start at three-miles.
Strong cast assembling for Aintree Bowl
The day one centrepiece has attracted a dozen entries, with Mullins also leaving in Embassy Gardens and Blue Lord, though not Ryanair Chase winner Fact To File.
Conflated and Spillane's Tower are the other Irish possibilities, with the latter a key contender for Jimmy Mangan if he runs.
Grey Dawning heads the early betting for Dan Skelton and was deliberately aimed here rather than Cheltenham last month, while Stage Star, Ahoy Senor, Djelo, The Real Whacker, Sam Brown and another Skelton inmate, Protektorat, complete the potential cast at this stage.
It could be a hot race if the main principles stand their ground. Undoubtedly, Skelton has targeted this contest with Grey Dawning and he is the one to beat on paper.
Gaelic Warrior is a high-class performer too, however, and the untapped potential he still holds at three-miles and more would make him a fascinating rival for what could be a proper Anglo-Irish showdown on Merseyside.
The Mullins camp aren't writing Gaelic Warrior off and punters are unlikely to do so either.
