Beef Or Salmon is likely to try for a third win in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at the weekend - even though the ground is unlikely to be ideal.
Michael Hourigan's ace defeated Kicking King to land the three-mile feature in 2004 and denied War Of Attrition 12 months ago. And Hourigan also intends to saddle Hi Cloy in the feature event at Down Royal on Saturday.
"Both horses will run," said the Patrickswell-based handler. "Beef Or Salmon is in good form, but I don't know who is going to ride him yet. I think the ground's quick, so we could do with a drop of rain."
That view was echoed by David Fitzgerald, whose Mister Top Notch was among 15 potential starters at the confirmation stage. Mister Top Notch, second on the Flat at Galway on Monday, is unlikely to make a quick reappearance with conditions as they are.
Fitzgerald was pleased with the eight-year-old's runner-up spot behind Larkwing but will not turn him out at Down Royal without some rain in the meantime.
"He needs some rain. We'll see how the week goes but I'm happy with the horse after his Galway run," said the Co Limerick-based handler. "That'll leave him spot-on to go for his next run over fences.
"Down Royal is not out of the question, we'll see how the ground is. We've left him in and it's a possibility but it's not definite. He'll either run on Saturday or go for the Troytown Chase at Navan next month."