The feature race of the afternoon at Down Royal is the Grade Two WKD Hurdle and although a poor renewal of the race, the top two in the market are exceptional talents and extremely hard to split.
We are giving the nod to Fil Dor from a price perspective, although Pied Piper has the fitness angle, we think Fil Dor is worth backing at odds against.
A superb talent for Gordon Elliott last term starting at this meeting having joined from France and he went on to bolt up by 16 lengths, from Listed winner Sea Sessions.
Making it back to back wins in a Grade Three at Fairyhouse when showing grit, he made it a hat-trick of wins at Christmas at Leopardstown when beating the same horse by a wider margin, giving weight away.
From there he has raced three more times in Grade One company and has bumped into the superb Vauban and has chased him home on all three occasions.
Starting in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the DRF, he was then second again in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham festival and then again at the Punchestown festival.
It is a coin toss between Fil Dor and Pied Piper but we are siding with the French exploit on price.