UN DE SCEAUX can give Willie Mullins a flying start to this year's Punchestown Festival with victory in the BoyleSports Champion Chase.

With Gordon Elliott (pictured) heading into the final week of the season with a lead of around 400,000 euros, for the first time in a long time Mullins appears unlikely to be crowned Ireland's champion trainer.

However, given the spectacular success he has enjoyed at Punchestown in recent years, it would be folly to dismiss the Closutton maestro just yet and a big opening day could make things interesting.

The popular Un De Sceaux has enjoyed another fine campaign, landing the Tingle Creek at Sandown and the rescheduled Clarence House Chase at Cheltenham in January.

He returned to Prestbury Park last month for the Ryanair Chase and while some questioned whether his stamina would last out over the longer trip, he ran out a dominant winner.

Coming back to two miles is not an issue and while he would prefer softer ground, his class should see him through.

The first Grade One of the week, the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle, throws up a fascinating rematch between the Mullins-trained Melon and Elliott's Labaik.

Labaik was a comprehensive winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, but Melon could well gain his revenge in County Kildare.

Elliott has never made any secret of the regard in which he holds Labaik and he put his best foot forward when it mattered last month.

However, he has refused to race on two of his last three starts in Ireland and blew his chance at the start on the other occasion, so he comes with a serious health warning for his backers.

Melon appears relatively straightforward in comparison and ran a fine race to finish second at Cheltenham - beaten a shade over two lengths - on what was just his second start over hurdles.

Of the pair Melon can be expected to progress the most and he is fancied to turn the tables.

The Noel Meade-trained Disko gets the nod in the Growise Champion Novice Chase.

The six-year-old got within a length of Irish Grand National winner Our Duke over three miles at Leopardstown over Christmas before reversing the form in the Flogas Novice Chase in February.

He was far from disgraced when third behind Yorkhill in the JLT Novices' Chase at Cheltenham and looks the to beat in this event.

John Gosden has his string in sensational form and is expected to add his tally with Blue On Blue at Yarmouth.

The Clarehaven handler saddled 12 winners in the space of five days last week, including big-race victories with Classic contenders Khalidi, Daban and Dabyah.

Blue On Blue is bred to be pretty useful himself as a full-brother to high-class filly Nemoralia and the Weddings & Private Parties At Yarmouth Racecourse Handicap looks a good opportunity for him to open his account at the fourth attempt.

The chestnut colt was a beaten favourite on his Chelmsford introduction last October and was even more disappointing on his next start at Newmarket.

However, a winter break seems to have done him good judged on a more promising effort on his return at Kempton three weeks ago and he now goes handicapping.

An opening mark of 74 looks workable enough and a bold bid is anticipated.

Evening fare comes from Brighton and Wolverhampton, with Coronation Day fancied to complete her hat-trick in the totequadpot At totesport.com Handicap at the seaside.

Unraced as a two-year-old, the daughter of Bahamian Bounty enjoyed a fine first season last year, winning three of her eight starts and placing on a further three occasions.

She is 5lb higher than when last seen winning at Kempton in October, but remains open to improvement and quick turf suits her well judged on previous results.

Wolverhampton's fillies' handicap can go the way of Canny Style.

The Kevin Ryan-trained four-year-old had to settle for third last time out at Redcar when in search of a four-timer, but was far from disgraced as she finished off her race well to suggest the 7lb rise she encountered after winning at Musselburgh in October is not beyond her.

She has gone up a total of 16lb since August last year and all the evidence seems to be she has improved again for another winter on her back. That Redcar run was over an extended 10 furlongs and this return to a mile and a half is firmly in her favour.

SELECTIONS:

BRIGHTON: 4.50 Global Exceed, 5.20 Tidal's Baby, 5.50 Coronation Day, 6.20 Light Of Air, 6.55 Ettie Hart, 7.25 Bloodsweatandtears, 7.55 Captain Bob.

HEXHAM: 1.50 Applaus, 2.25 Don Franco, 2.55 Helmsley Lad, 3.25 Heist, 4.00 Orioninverness, 4.30 Cave Hunter, 5.05 Big Bad Dream.

LUDLOW: 2.00 Excellent Team, 2.35 Hedley Lamarr, 3.05 Rene's Girl, 3.35 The Coffee Hunter, 4.10 Scarlet Minstrel, 4.40 Qrackers, 5.10 Atomic Rumble.

PUNCHESTOWN: 3.40 Froggy, 4.20 MELON (NAP), 4.55 Roconga, 5.30 Un De Sceaux, 6.05 Early Doors, 6.40 Disko, 7.15 Tower Bridge.

WOLVERHAMPTON: 6.00 Bracken Brae, 6.30 Dyna Might, 7.05 Canny Style, 7.40 Stepney, 8.10 Isntshesomething, 8.40 Capolavoro, 9.10 Tooty Fruitti.

YARMOUTH: 1.40 Marine One, 2.10 Investigation, 2.45 Wapping, 3.15 Hurricane Alert, 3.50 Harlequin Rock, 4.25 Blue On Blue, 5.00 Stanhope.

DOUBLE: Melon and Blue On Blue.