Leopardstown preview: For a woman who goes through agony whenever Best Mate sets foot on a racetrack, Henrietta Knight could be facing into an extra-stressful day as her pride and joy returns to Leopardstown this afternoon.
Last year the triple Cheltenham Gold Cup hero put in arguably the performance of his career when destroying the opposition to the tune of nine easy lengths in the Ericsson Chase.
Now the race is known as the Lexus and ground that appears to have the consistency of a jar of syrup makes it a very different sort of challenge.
An official ground description yesterday of "soft" is likely to be made even more testing by overnight rain, with up to 8mm being forecast. For a horse at his best when bouncing off fast turf, his latest Irish expedition looks like being a gruelling task.
Best Mate travelled to Dublin on Sunday night but while his exact whereabouts are famously kept secret on these occasions, Knight has been no stranger to the Leopardstown authorities throughout the holiday period.
The Leopardstown manager, Matt O'Dwyer, even got a phone call on Christmas night from the anxious trainer and yesterday O'Dwyer was predicting the overnight rain would not have a significant impact on the going.
Knight herself was relatively upbeat yesterday but said: "I suppose all those horses in the Paddy Power Chase will churn things up. He travelled over fine and cantered in the morning."
In the circumstances, however, those who have taken some very short ante-post odds about the favourite for today's race might be starting to feel a little uneasy.
With a return to Cheltenham in March the only target that matters for Best Mate the last thing his connections want is a slog in the mud against decent horses who will be in their element.
The 2002 winner, Beef Or Salmon, has run into Best Mate three times in his career and come off worst on each occasion. Even less encouraging is how he comes here on the back of a lack-lustre effort in the Durkan Chase behind Kicking King.
Barrow Drive and Cloudy Bays look out of their depth but two horses likely to thrive in the conditions are Pizarro and Rule Supreme with the latter looking a value each way option for those who want to take on the favourite.
It's significant that Willie Mullins allows the SunAlliance Chase and French Champion Hurdle winner to take his chance in this since a much simpler option would seem to be the earlier woodiesdiy Christmas Hurdle.
Mullins is ultimately targeting the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham in the belief that Rule Supreme's jumping won't stand up in the white heat of Gold Cup competition. Sure enough the horse ran a blinder to be beaten only three parts of a length by Baracouda at Windsor earlier in the month.
It is true Rule Supreme has almost two stone to find with Best Mate on official figures but he is at his best on very testing ground. In the conditions there may not be as much pressure on his jumping and, as he has shown before, when it gets really tough, Rule Supreme really gets going.
In the other Grade One prize, the Ascon-Rohcon Novice Chase, it is very hard to get away from the favourite, Mark The Man.
The bare form of this horse is nothing exceptional but his home reputation certainly is and at this stage he looks the most likely Irish hope for the SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham.
Forget The Past brings Grade One form from the Drinmore but there will be some glum faces in the JP McManus camp if Mark The Man cannot make it two from two over fences.
Noel Meade also looks to hold a winning shout in the Christmas Hurdle with Rosaker and the champion trainer will be fancied to finish the day with a bumper success for County Final.
Top Strategy represents Ted Walsh in the handicap hurdle, a race in which six of the eight runners hold entries in the Pierse Hurdle next month. Walsh has won this race in two of the last three years and Top Strategy looks to have a chance shout on the back of a good run behind Feathered Lady last time out.
