A small but select field of five have been declared in Thursday's Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase.

Headlined by the Willie Mullins star Douvan, Monalee also returns to the track. It's a proper midweek treat.

Last seen when second to Un De Sceaux a year-and-a-half ago, Douvan will likely be a warm order here and if he is up to his best will win.

However, there is a fairly sizeable if that goes with that.

He's not getting any younger and it would be a surprise if he was fully wound up for this by Mullins.

It is also an experiment, given this will be the first time he's ever run over two-and-a-half miles. There's no doubt he'll be effective over the trip but something must have twigged in Mullins' head for the switch to have been made – especially with how wide open the two mile division is.

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The obvious one to side with is Henry De Bromhead's MONALEE. And sometimes the obvious ones are just too good to turn down.

He has gone well fresh in the past and wasn't over-raced last year. He was a tad disappointing in the Ryanair last season before he was pulled-up at Punchestown.

But his better runs tend to come earlier in the season and his second to Kemboy in the Savills demonstrates that.

The King George is an option and it could be that this is the year he finally targets the big one at Cheltenham.

If that's the case, he'll need to be winning this. This Grade 1 winner is top-class on his day and this should be his bread and butter.

He is a solid jumper, and a smooth traveller. There are a good few question marks surrounding his rivals and he should simply be a level above those aside from Douvan.

Peregrine Run has no fitness excuse and could catch the others cold if they don't deliver. He's already had two outings this year.

But the ground could be a question mark and I'd be surprised if he was up to this top level.

Jett beat Tout Est Permis fair and square last time out and it would be a surprise if either of these were right in the mix coming over the last.

2.50 Clonmel Selection

2.50 Clonmel – Monalee

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