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Nigel Twiston-Davies is prepared to take on the might of the Irish with Weveallbeencaught at this weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown.
While the Naunton handler has enjoyed multiple victories at the Punchestown Festival over the years, he has saddled just one previous runner at Leopardstown, with Moorish finishing down the field in the richly-endowed Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle some 25 years ago.
Weveallbeencaught, a £210,000 purchase after winning an Irish point-to-point, made a successful debut for his new connections in a Newbury bumper last season and made a promising start over hurdles when third behind subsequent Challow winner Hermes Allen in a Grade Two at Cheltenham in November.
The six-year-old went on to justify favouritism in a maiden hurdle at Prestbury Park on New Year's Day, beating Saturday's Cheltenham winner Rock My Way, and will step up to Grade One level in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors "50,000 Cheltenham Bonus For Stable Staff" Novice Hurdle.
"That's the plan. It was good to see the horse that was second to him winning at Cheltenham on Saturday. We're very happy," said Twiston Davies.
"The owners wanted to go to Ireland. We're going to have a crack and we'll see how we do."
Weveallbeencaught is an 8-1 shot with Paddy Power for the Dublin Racing Festival curtain-raiser, with Barry Connell's Good Land heading the market at 2-1.
Other likely contenders for the two-mile-six-furlong contest on the opening afternoon include Henry De Bromhead's Hiddenvalley Lake, the Paul Nolan-trained Sandor Clegane and American Mike from Gordon Elliott's yard.
