The first big event of the afternoon at Punchestown on day three is the Grade One Champion Stayers Hurdle and Monkfish off the back of his return run is a serious player.
A horse that had the world at his feet before his injury setback having proved it over both hurdles and fences is now back and ready to give his challenge.
In 2019 he was ran twice, once in a bumper and once over hurdles finishing second on both occasions behind smart horses in Diol Ker and Longhouse Poet.
Since then he has gone on to be a superstar being unbeaten in three hurdle event and on both his chase starts showing clear staying ability and this term a superb jumping temperament.
Having won at Fairyhouse and at Thurles last term over large distances, he went to the Cheltenham festival and managed to stay three miles the best of the runners to just get up in the Grade One Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.
Sent chasing by Mullins in November 2020 he landed his debut at Fairyhouse with ease and used that run to improve further when managing to see off Latest Exhibition in a Grade One Novice Chase at Leopardstown.
Although dropping slightly in trip when seen next time in the Grade One Flogas Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival he gave his best performance of the season to land the event by 11 lengths.
It was all systems go for the Cheltenham festival and although the race fell apart the seven year old landed the event by close to seven lengths, not being overly impressive but getting the job done.
Monkfish was seen once more last time at the Punchestown festival when taking on superstar Envoi Allen and Cheltenham festival winner Colreevy and in a shock turn of events it was his stablemate Colreevy who landed the race by eight lengths.
Having been off the track for almost two years, he returned as a nine year old at Fairyhouse, running a cracker over 2m4f to finish second to a much fitter stablemate in Asterion Forlonge.
That run would have set him perfectly for this event back at his preferred three miles and if not bouncing for the long period off, he is a serious player, showing last time he retains all of his ability.