Connections of Limestone Lad, arguably the most popular National Hunt horse in training, are delighted with their charge as he prepares to take on the mighty Baracouda in the Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle this afternoon.
The race has been billed as one of the great showdowns of this year's Cheltenham Festival as Limestone Lad bids to wrench the title from Francois Doumen's French ace.
"I'm happy with him this morning," trainer James Bowe told attheraces. "I can do no more now and it's all up to the horse.
"He has many admirable qualities, and a few I don't admire - I have a few bumps and bruises I could show you. But he has a great personality and is a dour battler. He is so genuine and people admire him for those qualities."
Limestone Lad has been denied the chance to better his brave second to Bacchanal in the 2000 renewal of this race, when he took the trip to Cheltenham badly and became dehydrated, through first the foot and mouth abandonment of the Festival and then injury.
And the Bowe team were given a scare in the build-up to this year's race.
"He got the cough about three weeks ago and at that stage things looked pretty blue for Cheltenham really," the trainer said.
"I didn't think he'd come back as quick because usually these comes hang on for a month or two, or maybe the whole season.
"But he shook it off in six days which is incredible."
The ground remains good, good to soft after a dry night.
"The ground isn't a worry at all. I never have any worries about the ground with this horse," Bowe said. "As long as it is safe ground and that's what it is out there, nice safe ground."
Baracouda may be the defending champion but Bowe said: "I don't think about the opposition at all. I just think about my horse.
"If he does himself justice, he'll win.
"He has the ability to win the race and if the race was at home in his homeland, he'd take a hell of a lot of beating.
"It's just when you bring him on this journey, overnight away from home, it just knocks him out of his routine a bit so I'm just hoping that doesn't knock him about. But every horse has to go through that I suppose."
PA