Leopardstown report:Beef Or Salmon will carry the same weight as Kauto Star and the other runners in next month's Cheltenham Gold Cup but his trainer Michael Hourigan insists that his veteran star will now have one less piece of baggage to hump around than before.
"He will go this time without any expectations, and that's the way to go there," he said yesterday when confirming Beef Or Salmon to be on course for yet another tilt at chasing's blue riband.
Four previous attempts have famously indicated that the 11-year-old views Cheltenham with all the affection a mongoose reserves for a snake but after Saturday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown, the prevailing attitude in the Hourigan camp seems to be one of "what have we got to lose".
It's hard to blame them either because Beef Or Salmon's 10th career Grade One success rates just about the best of all. Certainly, any Gold Cup scriptwriter will have to start burning the midnight oil from now on to top the weekend's feel-good factor.
Much of that had to do with the surprise element because Beef Or Salmon's chances of overhauling The Listener on the run to the last fence were rated at close to 100 to 1 by betting exchange punters who must have gasped along with the rest of us at how the English raider tied up on the run-in to allow Andrew McNamara come sailing through on the old-stager and win by three-parts of a length.
"I suppose it has to be the best of the 10 Grade Ones. He's 11 now and really it looked like he had no chance. But I suppose The Listener just went off too fast," Hourigan added yesterday.
It was a third Hennessy for Beef Or Salmon and a fourth for the trainer who had waited since November for a winner of any kind.
It was also a first victory for McNamara since New Year's Day so there was understandable relief mixed in with the widespread joy.
However, there was little impact on the Cheltenham betting with Beef Or Salmon still widely available at 33 to 1 and The Listener pushed out to 12 to 1.
But even the "no expectations" argument can't quite shake Hourigan from thinking about what Beef Or Salmon might eventually do at Cheltenham if only he can reproduce his best form there.
"He has beaten the last three Gold Cup winners, War Of Attrition, Kicking King and Best Mate, and on Saturday he trounced Forget The Past who was third last year. I know people will say he has no chance but he is certainly entitled to go," he argued.
The same comment applies in spades to Aran Concerto who is as low as 2 to 1 favourite for the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle at the festival after beating his stable companion Leading Run in the Grade One Deloitte on Saturday.
However, the race was robbed of a lot of its fascination when Catch Me exited at the second last.
Persistent jumping to the right by Leading Run didn't prevent Catch Me's jockey Barry Geraghty attempting to challenge on the outside and the resultant collision was as predictable as it was frustrating.
Another clash between the two looks on at Cheltenham with Noel Meade favouring the longer novice event for Aran Concerto.
"I think he is an exceptional talent. He has gears, stamina and manages to do everything at his leisure. I would say the two mile-five race is more likely but we will have to see," Meade said.
The day's other Grade One, the Dr PJ Moriarty Chase, didn't provide too many Cheltenham clues with the winner, Mister Top Notch, not even entered at the festival. Instead his trainer Davy Fitzgerald will wait for Aintree where he will pray for the better ground he is convinced his horse needs.
Whyso Mayo, though, appears to be on track to defend his Cheltenham title after a convincing success in the Raymond Smith Memorial Hunters Chase and there was another Cork victory in the Grade Two Cashmans Juvenile Hurdle as Convincing earned general 25 to 1 Triumph Hurdle quotes by narrowly beating Financial Reward.
Tranquil Sea is as low as 14 to 1 for the Festival Bumper after providing Edward O'Grady with another string to his Cheltenham bow by winning Saturday's finale under James King.
