Racing: Noel Meade hopes conditions at Leopardstown will not ride so slow as to scupper Aitmatov's bid for a four-timer in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle on Sunday.
The Co Meath handler is looking forward to unleashing his progressive seven-year-old in the Grade One feature, but admits he fears soft ground could put a spanner in the works.
"I'm slightly concerned about the ground really as I think he is at his best on better ground," Meade said. "I feel he might not be as effective on this but he's very well and he's got to run.
"I know he beat Sweet Kiln on it the last day but that wouldn't be absolutely top-class form and he'd need to improve a bit on that I think."
Aitmatov faces just five rivals in the valuable two-miler, but Meade is well aware of the threat posed by Al Eile, Ebaziyan, Lounaos, last year's winner Hardy Eustace and the improving Sizing Europe.
"There's only six runners but you couldn't rule any of them out," he reasoned. "We don't know how good the horse who won the Greatwood is (Sizing Europe). I know we've beaten him before but he looks a good horse now and it's a really interesting race.
"I'm hopeful as my horse is well and has worked fine, although he's not a spectacularly flamboyant worker at home."