Notre Pere heads Down Royal field

Notre Pere won the Welsh Grand National last December

Jim Dreaper's stable star Notre Pere will make his first start of the season in Saturday's JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.

The eight-year-old won the Welsh National and Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup last season.

Dreaper says the right-handed track on Saturday is probably not ideal but is keen to see his horse in action.

"He's fine and in good form and we're looking forward to getting started with him," said Dreaper.

"The ground should be fine for him and maybe ideally he's more effective going to the left.

"It's not a major problem but he just leans a bit to the left all the time.

"He's straight enough to run but he is a lazy, relaxed big horse, so hopefully the run will improve him a good deal."

Nick Mitchell's The Listener has won three Grade One chases in Ireland but needs to bounce back to form having failed to get his head in front since February 2008.

Joe Lively has been off the track with injury since February but trainer Colin Tizzard is confident his charge is fit enough to give a good account.

"He's arrived there in good form and had a canter on the course this morning, so we're looking forward to it," said Tizzard.

Eight horses go to post for the Grade One contest with the Paul Nicholls-trained My Will, Mouse Morris' 2006 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero War Of Attrition, Noel Meade's Casey Jones, Natal and Trotsky also in the field.

The race is the highlight of the second day of the Northern Ireland Festival of Racing.