Tommy wade, a man to whom the art of bookkeeping is not an unknown science, rates Ireland as odds on favourites to win this afternoon's Kerrygold Nations Cup.
The Co Tipperary horseman, best known for his multiple wins with the former milk-cart pony Dundrum, has been chef d'équipe of the Irish team for the past five years and steered them to a historic first win in last year's European championships.
But the win on home ground in Dublin is all-important to Wade and he is keen that the President, Mrs McAleese, will be presenting the Aga Khan trophy to his team today.
The luck of the Irish is working favourably so far as Wade's quartet of Peter Charles, Cian O'Connor, Kevin Babington and Dermott Lennon have the benefit of being drawn last out of the hat, with the 2001 winners Belgium first into the melting pot.
"All we need to do is jump six clear rounds," Wade says.
Yet that could be a tall order for any of the seven teams on ground which is soaked to well beyond soft in racing parlance.
Both the home side and France have notched up a brace of wins apiece so far this week and Wade believes the French could be a big threat to Irish hopes. He quotes them at 7/2.
Yet he also has concerns about the challenge from the British team, offering odds of 3/1 for the country which has won the Aga Khan a record 22 times, compared to Ireland's 20.