Cheltenham Gold Cup second-favourite Beef Or Salmon pleased trainer Michael Hourigan when galloping yesterday morning and remains firmly on course for the blue riband on Thursday week.
The rising star of the Irish chasing scene worked eight times over Hourigan's three-furlong woodchip gallop along with, among others, the veteran Dorans Pride, whom Hourigan confirmed will take his chance in the Christie's Foxhunter for what will be his seventh trip to the festival.
Clonmel's Minella (National Hunt Chase) and Hi Cloy (Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle) also featured but it was the young pretender, with Hourigan's son Michael jnr on board, and the old stager, ridden by the trainer's daughter Kay, who figured at the head of the group.
"They are fit and well and don't need any hardship at this stage," Hourigan said. "Beef Or Salmon will do his last serious bit of work tomorrow over a mile and five furlongs and that will be it.
"I'm looking forward to it.
"Dorans Pride was an unlucky loser of the Gold Cup when he was favourite in 1998, making a bad mistake two-out which cost him his momentum. This fellow has more class and jumps quicker.
"Dorans was a tremendous horse for us but just tended to leave out the odd fence in a race and that cost him dearly at the highest level.
"It would be a wonderful fairytale for Timmy Murphy if he could win the Gold Cup after what he's been through but I'll only get excited if the horse wins - you have plenty of disappointments in this game."
Top of the bill at Downpatrick this afternoon is the Powers Ulster National one of a handful of handicap chases in this country that is run over three miles four furlongs.
Proven stamina was exhibited here 12 months ago when the Enda Bolger-trained Back In Thyne finished best of all from the last fence home to beat Pauls Run.
Younowhat who had been a close third at the final jump is, however, weighted to reverse the placings as he meets Back In Thyne on 9lb better terms for a beating of less than seven lengths.
He in turn though may not match the top weight Delgany Royal who ran such a good race in much superior company over this distance at Punchestown when fourth to Hedgehunter.
George Stewart, trainer of Younowwhat, should by that stage in the afternoon have struck with Ross Com who has a clear cut chance even though pitted against a more obvious pairing Jordans Lad and My Native Donegal. Like the best horses to have come out of this Lisburn Co Down yard, his introduction was via the point-to-point sphere where he was a winner.
His most recent run over hurdles was at Down Royal in a race dominated in more senses than one by runners trained by Edward O'Grady. Not merely did his Pizarro run away with the prize scoring by 20 lengths from My Name's Not Bin while third and fourth places went to stablemates Roddy What and Ballygowan. The future may show that in finishing fifth of 15 in such a line-up that Ross Com acquitted himself with credit.
Paul Nolan's four-year-old bumper horse Accordion Etoile let down a sizeable gamble at Leopardstown on Sunday when second behind Selby Road but a goodly portion of those losses can be recouped by Master Billy. He was second at Clonmel to a smart Willie Mullins horse Mr Babbage.
Periwinkle Lad, who ran away with a handicap hurdle at Tramore on New Year's Eve, makes the trip from Rathkeale in Co Limerick to look for a first win over fences.
Those in whose colours Periwinkle Lad currently races are apparently unenthusiastic about his name as they call themselves the "We did'nt name him syndicate". If he starts running up a sequence over fences they may revise their ideas.
Over the last quarter of a century Jeremy Maxwell has been one of the kingpins in the story surrounding the preservation of Downpatrick. His stable is nowadays much reduced but there should be a winner on Ulster National day in the shape of William Ulsterman.
