A late switch has deprived Thurles of the presence of Dorans Pride today, but it does leave the veteran's trainer, Michael Hourigan, strongly fancying his chances for a second Hennessy Gold Cup victory on Sunday.
Dorans Pride is a general 8 to 1 shot to repeat his 1998 Hennessy success, and in spite of sustained ante-post support for the favourite, Florida Pearl, now as low as 5 to 4, Hourigan is far from running scared.
"I'm going to be as big a threat to them as they are to me, and my horse is in great form," a defiant Hourigan declared yesterday after reversing an earlier decision to go for the Esat Digifone Kinloch Brae Chase.
"I spoke to the owner (Tom Doran) this morning and we decided to go to Leopardstown on Sunday instead. He fell at Thurles the last time he ran there and he never runs a bad race at Leopardstown, so we feel we're entitled to be there," Hourigan said.
"My horse had Native Upmanship and Nick Dundee behind when he was second to Rince Ri in the Ericsson, and if he'd winged the fences as the others did, I just wonder how far he would have won by.
"He was only beaten a few lengths at the finish and he must have lost five or six lengths a fence in the early stages. He was just being careful and he's just not fluent out of ground as bad as that, which is another factor in us not running at Thurles.
"I also had Florida Pearl behind me up the North in the November and none of the younger ones, bar Rince Ri, have come along and beaten us. The way we feel we have as good a chance as all the rest," the Patrickswell trainer added.
Florida Pearl is the one all the ante-post interest is in, however, and Paddy Power had a couple of £1,500 bets at 6 to 4 yesterday which prompted them to cut the horse to 11 to 8. Cashmans cut the favourite to 5 to 4.
Despite Dorans Pride's absence, the £40,000 feature this afternoon is still an intriguing contest, with Micko's Dream bidding to recover from last week's Thyestes disappointment against a smart field.
However, with Slaney Native having looked less than a natural over fences earlier in the season and the quirky To Your Honour appearing to be less than ideal trench warfare material, Micko's Dream's chance is clear despite the slight question mark hanging over his fifth to Bob Treacy a week ago.
The Willie Mullins-trained horse also had Puget Blue behind him when landing the Leopardstown Chase last month. However, that was over three miles, and despite the slow early pace that day, this half mile shorter trip should be more in Puget Blue's favour.
The Mullins camp can be on the mark in the first and the last, however. Any News started favourite when fourth to the hot Cheltenham fancy, Beechcourt, at Leopardstown and, strictly speaking, has five lengths to find with Kefaaf today.
The latter also can't have been suited by a funereal early pace behind Direct Bearing at Fairyhouse on Sunday but, even so, the Mullins runner is clearly highly rated and should come on significantly for that first outing. Certainly Beechcourt fans will be looking for a form boost for their horse.
General Cloney, third to Snow Drop in the Triumph Hurdle, looks a stand out in the opener; while maybe Noel Meade's Woodenbridge Natif can reverse earlier course form with the busy Trevino in the novice hurdle.
Buck Rogers, trained by Victor Bowens, looks likely to return to Aintree to compete in the Grand National for the second year running.
Last season the gelding had moved up to the heels of the leaders when he took a tumble at the Canal Turn on the second circuit.
Bowens said: "This year's Martell Grand National is his main target this season. He will not run in too many races and he may not be seen on a racecourse again before Aintree."
