With racing hard hit by the recent bad weather, the focus will be even more on Saturday's Ladbroke, and the prospects for Leopardstown going ahead are good.
A course spokesman said yesterday: "The ground is naturally very heavy and there is more rain forecast. But we are not planning an inspection of the track at this stage."
That will be good news for Richard Hughes, who hopes to add to his collection of big Leopardstown hurdle race wins with the Dermot Kelly-trained Hard News. The top flat race jockey took last year's AIG Champion Hurdle with Cockney Lad.
Hughes takes the ride because Tommy Treacy is committed to Notcomplainingbut, while Tom Rudd takes the mount on the somewhat appropriately named Arctic Weather.
Theatreworld will top the weights in Saturday's big race, for which 26 were declared yesterday, but Charlie Swan is set to ride the other Aidan O'Brien-trained representative, Toast The Spreece, while Lynda Ramsden hopes to secure the services of Barry Fenton for her good flat stayer Top Cees.
Ramsden said: "Top Cees stays well on the flat but doesn't seem to appreciate extreme distances over hurdles. Leopardstown's two miles might just be in his favour."
Sharpical is the shortest-priced of the seven English-trained challengers, with the sponsors making the Nicky Henderson-trained gelding 12 to 1 third favourite.
Sharpical came through a weekend work-out in good style. Set to carry 10st 6lb he will be Henderson's first runner in the race. "He worked very well yesterday and is a definite runner - he has got to go," said the trainer. "He's got a good weight but it is a good race. He put up a good performance at Ascot, although the race wasn't run to suit him.
"Leopardstown is a fast track and that should suit him as his best efforts last season were at Aintree and Kempton. Mick Fitzgerald will go across to ride him."
The sponsoring firm offer: 5/1 Commanche Court, 8/1 Graphic Equaliser, 12/1 Sharpical, 14/1 Hard News, Major Jamie, Arctic Weather, Tibetan and Fishin Joella, 16/1 Toast The Spreece, Tidjani and Top Cees, 20/1 Metastasio, Lewisham and Lady Daisy, 25/1 Moorish, Ciara's Prince, Theatreworld, Desert Mountain, Notcomplainingbut and Gazalani, 33/1 Collon Leader, All The Vowels, Ginger Fox and Advocat, 50/1 Dunrally Fort and Leggagh Lady.
Theatreworld also figures among the entries for this season's AIG Irish Champion Hurdle which came out yesterday. The Champion Hurdle favourite, Istabraq, leads the list, but there is a strong representation from Britain, including the 1996 winner Collier Bay, as well as Shadow Leader and the David Nicholson pair of L'Opera and Sanmartino.
