Racing: Ferdy Murphy is banking on Nine De Sivola to give him his second Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse tomorrow.
Murphy saddled Granit D'Estruval to victory in 2004 and in his improving novice, he believes he has another ideal candidate.
Murphy could not have his string in better form and he is hoping the six-year-old can atone for an unlucky fall three out when he was still travelling well in the National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
Before that, he had chased home the ill-fated Nil Desperandum in the stamina sapping Eider Chase at Newcastle, proving that extreme distances are no problem to him.
"Every now and again you come across horses that need extreme distances and he is one of them," said Murphy.
"I think the drying ground will actually help him. The reason he has acted well on soft ground before is that it slows the others up a bit.
"He jumps a lot better on good ground. He jumped great at Cheltenham but just caught the third last, he was going well though.
"I think he is an ideal candidate as he will just hunt around and hopefully Graham (Lee) can just pick his spot and arrive to hopefully pinch the race late.
"I spoke to my man over there and he travelled over well, he's had a spin on the track this morning so fingers crossed he runs well."
The presence of the Tom Taaffe-trained Cane Brake at the head of the weights means that over half the 30-runner field are racing from out of the handicap.
Many trainers have decided to use jockeys who can claim their allowance, but Murphy says he would not swap his stable jockey for anyone.
"I don't think you are going to get much better than Graham," said Murphy. "He is absolutely riding at the top of his game at present and even if somebody gave me a rider who could use a 20lb claim I wouldn't use him."
Noel Chance believes Distant Thunder has a big advantage going in to the race on the back of only two runs this season.
The nine-year-old was a close third behind Joes Edge in the William Hill Chase at Cheltenham, a race Chance believes he was unlucky not to win.
"He's been good since Cheltenham. He's travelled over well, he's eaten up last night and he's full of the joys of spring," said Chance.
"He's going there as a fresh horse and that means a lot. A lot of them are going there at the end of a long campaign but he has only had two runs.
"He's in good shape and I couldn't be happier with him.
"He's got very little mileage on the clock and I'm happier with him now than I was going in to Cheltenham.
"It's going to be on the easy side of good and it will be damn near perfect jumping ground. No-one can have any excuses.
"Richard Johnson hasn't ridden him in a race but he has been down to school him and he was delighted.
"There doesn't appear to be a dark horse lurking in the race and I imagine Juveigneur will be thereabouts as we meet him on nearly identical terms to Cheltenham.
"We were unfortunate the two horses in front of us fell that day and he was in front too long. I think he was an unlucky loser."
Oulart finished only a length behind Point Barrow in last year's renewal and Dessie Hughes is hoping he can go one better.
"He's in good form but he's 7lb out of the handicap so I'm claiming off him to make up for it a bit," Hughes told At The Races.
"I put the cheekpieces on him the last day at Punchestown but I have left them off this time as I thought he ran too free with them.
"He'll run a good race. He's only eight but he'll love the ground." PA