Foxchapel King has to concede weight all around in today's IAWS Thyestes Chase but the Gowran Park feature has a habit of rewarding the class horse.
Legends such as Arkle (1964) and Flyingbolt (1966) are on the Thyestes roll of honour and while that was in the distant past, the three-mile slog on testing ground still doesn't rule out top weights.
Bob Treacy (1999) and Couldn't Be Better (1997) have carried 12st to victory in recent years and a good case can be argued that Foxchapel King is better than either of them.
The Mouse Morris-trained star has won 12 races in a career that took him to an injured ninth in last year's Gold Cup. They include the Nicholson Chase and the Ericsson, as well as handicap victories under 12st at Fairyhouse in November and in last season's Munster National. Morris believes carrying big weights against lesser opposition suits Foxchapel King more than tangling with the very top class and that is the task on his plate today.
His participation means just four of the 14-strong field are in the handicap proper and it's The Bunny Boiler who is the next highest rated. What kind of certainty was the subsequent Irish National hero when he fell at the third last in last year's Thyestes and off a 39lb lower rating?
Champion trainer Noel Meade has never won the Thyestes but is three-handed this time with Arctic Copper and the possible dark horse Michael Mor also in the pack.
The Bunny Boiler flopped badly behind Mini Sensation in last month's Welsh National so a watching brief might be the best advice with him.
Along with the novice Be My Belle, The Bunny Boiler was a 5 to 1 second favourite behind the 7 to 2 Foxchapel King with Cashmans yesterday.
Next best is the 7 to 1 Takagi who is also in the handicap proper and is bidding to give Edward O'Grady just a second Thyestes success after Tarthistle's win in 1979. However, the most remarkable participant has to be the veteran Bob Treacy who added to his 1999 victory in the race by also scoring two years ago. Three other horses have been double Thyestes winners but it will bring the house down if Bob Treacy can take the record for himself.
Mouse Morris could have a very good day indeed if Rostropovich can also pick up the Grade Three Galmoy Hurdle.
Part owned by the Formula One chief Eddie Jordan, Rostropovich renews rivalry with Kadoun from a Leopardstown handicap where they were fourth and sixth behind Keepatem.
There is little between the pair on that running and the good novice Satco Express also enters calculations. But slight preference is for the Morris horse.
Lime Supreme's four-length second to the recently retired Aquila Oculus at Cork in December reads pretty well in the context of the handicap hurdle.
