Nine names to note in Ireland this week including Impaire Et Passe and Ballyburn

Il Etait Temps - 12:10 Thurles (Thursday)

Il Etait Temps was rather in the shadow of his very smart stablemate Facile Vega last season, finishing behind that rival on three occasions in Grade 1s, including when runner-up in the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown and Champion Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

Il Etait Temps got his day in the sun at the Dublin Racing Festival, however, when he took advantage of Facile Vega's flop to land the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle by nine and a half lengths, impressing with the smart turn of foot he found to seal matters.

The form Il Etait Temps showed in top-level novice hurdles last season makes him an interesting addition to the novice chase ranks, though he's a compact gelding who lacks the physical scope of some who will be going over fences this term so there's a question about whether he will make as much of a splash in this sphere. Even this beginners' chase is unlikely to be a formality as Monbeg Park is also a potentially smart novice.

Haut En Couleurs - 12:40 Thurles (Thursday)

This is incredibly competitive for a listed chase as all nine runners have shown at least smart form over fences - and some significantly better.

Willie Mullins is responsible for five of the nine runners, with Haut en Couleurs the mount of the yard's number one rider Paul Townened.

Haut en Couleurs failed to win last season, but he probably would have done had he not fallen at the final fence when still several lengths to the good in the Grade 2 Kinloch Brae Chase.

He emerged with credit when contesting ultra-competitive handicaps at Cheltenham and Aintree, finishing fifth in the Festival Plate and fourth in the Topham, and it's possible the six-year-old could still deliver on the early promise he displayed when bolting up on his chasing debut.

Fun Fun Fun - 14:25 Thurles (Thursday)

Fun Fun Fun was bred by Patrick Mullins and is out of an unraced sister to the yard's multiple Grade 1 winner Yorkhill.

Fun Fun Fun made the perfect start to her career in bumpers last season, winning at Sligo and then showing a high level of form for a mare in the division when landing the Grade 2 at the Dublin Racing Festival in striking fashion.

The wheels rather came off on her two subsequent starts, finishing down the field in the Champion Bumper and failing to meet expectations after pulling too hard in a mares' event at Punchestown, but her emphatic success at the Dublin Racing Festival shows she's blessed with plenty of ability if her energy can be harnessed. She starts out hurdling at Thurles.

Monty's Star - 11:45 Fairyhouse (Saturday)

A top-quality two days of action at Fairyhouse kicks off with a potentially intriguing beginners' chase. Willie Mullins has five potential runners, including Nick Rockett who achieved a lot in a short space of time in the spring, while Emmet Mullins could run Corbetts Cross who posted an encouraging effort when third on his chasing debut at Naas a couple of weeks ago.

Corbetts Cross famously failed to complete in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, running out at the final flight when still in with every chance. Monty's Star also failed to complete that race, albeit in much less dramatic circumstances as he was pulled-up two out having come off the bridle a long way from home.

Monty's Star found that sort of test coming too soon in his career, but he had marked himself out as a useful prospect when landing a Grade 3 at Clonmel that his half-brother Monalee also won.

Monalee developed into a top-class chaser for these connections and the well-made Monty's Star also appeals as the type to do better over fences.

Ballyburn and Mirazur West - 14:00 Fairyhouse (Saturday)

The shortest-price horse in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle market trained by Willie Mullins is Mirazur West, while the trainer's shortest-price horse in the Ballymore betting is Ballyburn. Both hold an entry in this maiden hurdle.

It's safe to assume they won't be clashing so early in the campaign in this maiden hurdle, but both are excellent prospects and it will be notable if Mullins unleashes one of them in a race he won a division with last year with Facile Vega.

Point winner Ballyburn is bred to stay well, being a brother to the very smart Paddy Power Chase winner Noble Endeavor, but he showed plenty of pace in bumpers, overcoming notable keenness to win on his debut at Punchestown before posting one of the best efforts in the division when following up back at the Festival.

Mirazur West, a brother to the yard's top-class chaser Ferny Hollow, looked a very good prospect in his own right when making a winning start under Rules at Naas in March, breezing to a four-and-a-half-length success.

Encanto Bruno - 13:25 Fairyhouse (Sunday)

Last year's Royal Bond was certainly a high-class edition as it was won by subsequent Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Marine Nationale, while the second, third and fourth also went on to strike in Grade 1 company.

There doesn't seem to be the same sort of star quality in this race, though it could still feature some promising novices, including Encanto Bruno who was so impressive on his first start for Gavin Cromwell at Cheltenham in October.

Something must have been amiss with Encanto Bruno when he was pulled-up at Galway in August but he bounced back in style at Cheltenham, not needing to come off the bridle to land that novice hurdle with plenty in hand.

Letsbeclearaboutit - 14:00 Fairyhouse (Sunday)

Letsbeclearaboutit was a useful hurdler - his best effort was when fourth in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle - but he has quickly made up into a better chaser, winning both start over fences in style.

Letsbeclearaboutit created a good impression on his chasing debut at Gowran and he built on that when winning a Grade 3 by ten lengths at Cork a few weeks ago, posting just about the best effort in the novice division at this admittedly early point of the season.

His accurate jumping and strong-travelling style has been impressive and he remains capable of better in this sphere.

Impaire et Passe - 14:35 Fairyhouse (Sunday)

Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill makes his return in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday and the horse likely to emerge as his main challenger in the two-mile division also reappears this weekend, with Impaire et Passe starting out in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle over two and a half miles.

Impaire et Passe was successful on all four starts over hurdles last season, including in the Ballymore at the Cheltenham Festival where he showed bags of speed to quicken six and a half lengths clear of stablemate Gaelic Warrior, who subsequently bolted up in Grade 1 company at the Punchestown Festival.

Impaire et Passe wasn't so impressive himself when extending his winning sequence at Punchestown, but that doesn't alter the view he's a hugely exciting prospect.

He was last season's highest-rated novice hurdler with Timeform and, while he'll need to find significant improvement later in the campaign to shake up Constitution Hill, he should be good enough to make a winning return on Sunday against 2022 Hatton's Grace winner Teahupoo.

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