Racing:Michael Hourigan hopes Beef Or Salmon's love for Leopardstown can see him land his third straight Lexus Chase win - and fourth overall - when he contests the December 28th feature.
And while Hourigan has been pleased with the way preparations have gone since his charge scored over timber earlier in the month, the Limerick handler holds a great deal of respect for the opposition.
"He came out of his last race pretty well and we're just waiting to run in the Lexus now," he said. "It looks tough indeed. We've got the English horse (The Listener) coming over and he'll be no pushover and then there's War Of Attrition so it is a good race but there's no easy races out there."
When asked what it is about Leopardstown that sees Beef Or Salmon in such a positive light, Hourigan added: "I don't really know, but the Lexus is run there and he's won it the past couple of years.
"Obviously he does like Leopardstown and I just hope he'll like it this year.
"I think he's as good this year as ever he was and perhaps a little bit better," he told At The Races.
Meanwhile Hourigan can confirm that Hi Cloy is "90 per cent" likely to contest the Stan James King George VI Chase on St Stephen's Day as he recovers after bruising a foot.
Hourigan's nine-year-old also holds an entry in the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on December 27th but connections are reportedly favouring a crack at Kempton's showpiece.
Having sustained the niggling problem earlier in the week, that plan looked unlikely to come to fruition but hopes are high once more after Hi Cloy worked today.
"I'm about 90 per cent that he will (be coming over to Kempton)," Hourigan said. "He did a piece of work on Wednesday morning and he was fine but he'll have to do another bit now on Friday morning and then we'll see."
Hi Cloy is a best-priced 16-1 to gain his fifth success at the highest level in the King George.