THE star appears in the West rather than the East this Christmas.

Istabraq, arguably the biggest name in jump racing at present, has his first run of the season at Leopardstown in Ireland today.

If the meeting passes a 7am inspection, it will be his first appearance on the course since he completed an historic hat-trick of Champion Hurdle wins at Cheltenham last March.

Now the eight-year-old is launching his bid to claim a place in the record books by winning an unprecedented fourth Champion.

He is odds-on with the bookmakers to achieve the feat, and the gelding showed little sign that age is catching up with him when comfortably seeing off Hors La Loi III and Blue Royal in the big race last season.

Trainer Aidan O'Brien is plotting a lighter campaign this time around for his stable-star, who missed his usual autumn prep race.

But Istabraq should still be straight enough to make it 22 wins from 25 runs over jumps in the AIB Agri-Business December Festival Hurdle.

Ross Moff is the potential class act in the opening Farming Independent Beginners Chase.

He had a fine first season over hurdles in 1999/2000, winning all five races in Ireland including a valuable novice event at Fairyhouse and finishing third in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham.

The well-built gelding looks just the sort to take to jumping fences.

Noel Meade can widen his narrow advantage over Arthur Moore as he bids to retain the Irish jumps trainers' title by landing the Madigans Handicap Chase with Kings Valley.

His gelding had a commanding lead when falling at the last fence at Navan on his most recent appearance and should gain compensation today.

For Paddy's Day gave Christy Roche a pleasant surprise when winning a National Hunt Flat Race at Fairyhouse on his recent debut as trainer. Roche though he would need the race.

The five-year-old is clearly a quicker learner than he was given credit for, and he may well make a successful start to his jumping career in the Agri-Aware Maiden Hurdle