Ryan McElligott previews Thursday's horse racing action from Ireland.

With Hurricane Fly an absentee from the Istabraq Festival Hurdle the stage looks set for his stablemate Thousand Stars to capture the final Grade 1 on offer at this year's Leopardstown Christmas meeting.

Thousand Stars ran one good race after another last season such as when second in the Aintree Hurdle and when chasing home Hurricane Fly at Punchestown in May before then signing off with a superb win in the French Champion Hurdle. The grey then looked as good as ever on his return to the fray in a Grade 1 at Punchestown last month where he made all the running en route to a decisive win over Oscars Well. His form over the last twelve months makes him one of the best hurdlers around and Thousand Stars is a worthy favourite for this event, while he has upwards of ten pounds to spare over his rivals.

Of the other runners Voler La Vedette is due to take her chance in a three mile event at Leopardstown on Wednesday while Oscars Well will have to improve markedly to turn around the form of his Punchestown defeat. Moon Dice was somewhat unlucky in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham last time but he must progress again to play a part. Meanwhile The Real Article has progressed well over the last six months and has the ground in his favour. He is entitled to the utmost respect.

Even though she is the second lowest rated runner in the line up the Dermot Weld-trained Unaccompanied could be the one that gives Thousand Stars most to do. The exploits of last year's crop of juvenile hurdlers has been well documented and she was one of the best of them as she showed when finishing second in the Triumph Hurdle.

That Cheltenham run was followed by a defeat of St Nicholas Abbey in a Curragh Listed race while there was plenty to like about Unaccompanied's return to hurdling at Naas last month where she produced an assured display to account for Sailors Warn and the subsequent winner Lyreen Legend.

This is a vastly better race than the one she contested at Naas and she has plenty to do on official figures but it is well worth taking the chance that Unaccompanied can play a significant role in the outcome of this event. Earlier on the card the Grade 3 I.T.B.A. Fillies Scheme EBF Mares Hurdle is quite a smart event and Our Girl Salley looks to have a good chance of winning this race for the second year in succession.

The six-year-old has not been at her best on her last few outings but has improved steadily with each run this season. Following a tailed off comeback at Naas, she ran respectably in a useful handicap hurdle at Punchestown and on her most recent start she finished a good third to Mikael D'Haguenet in a conditions hurdle at Fairyhouse.

That last run puts her in with a leading chance and it is worth recalling that she defeated a quality field to win this race last year. Hopefully she is working her way back to this sort of form and she is also the joint top rated runner in the field. It should be noted that Our Girl Salley disappointed on good ground last April but possibly it was more than the ground that proved her undoing that day - she has good form on yielding and yielding to soft ground.

Among her rivals is Magen's Star who was an impressive winner of her first two starts over hurdles last season before finishing down the field at Cheltenham. This is her first run since then and she might just prefer slower ground. The Fred Winter Juvenile Hurdle heroine What A Charm returns to the fray for Arthur Moore following a flat camapign with John Oxx.

A Listed win at Listowel in September served notice that What A Charm was still on the upgrade and there could be better still to come from her over jumps this season. The step up to this trip is likely to suit the daughter of Key Of Luck. Of the others Oilily would have a major chance if she could recapture her best form but she has to bounce back from a couple of below par runs.

The biggest danger of all could come from Golden Sunbird. She was a very capable mare in this sphere last year and now reverts to hurdles following a couple of useful efforts over fences.

The traditionally interesting Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Qualifier is never an easy race to solve and this year's renewal is no different. A tentative vote goes to the four-year-old Toner D'Oudairies. He was quite a useful juvenile hurdler last season and he hasn't run at all badly on his two completed starts this term.

An encouraging piece of form was his fourth to Unaccompanied at Naas in a conditions hurdle last month and it is interesting that connections have opted to mvoe him right up in trip. His stamina has to be taken on trust but quite possibly this longer trip could bring about substantial improvement from him. In addition Gordon Elliott's team have been in fine form over the Christmas period.

The last day of the meeting kicks off with a tricky looking handicap chase where Glam Gerry is worth supporting. Following three runs in beginner's chases the capable hurdler steps into handicap chase company for the first time. He will certainly need to improve on what he has shown over fences so far but he ran better than his final position would suggest when sixth to Lambro in a reasonable event at Naas in November. Also last season he made a winning start to his career in handicap hurdles and his rating over fences is appreciably lower than the one he holds over fences.

Recommended:
Leopardstown:
12.15 Glam Gerry 1pt win
1.25 Our Girl Salley 1pt win
1.55 Unaccompanied 1pt e/w
2.30 Toner D'Oudairies 1pt e/w