Michael Houriganis cautiously optimistic about Beef Or Salmon's chances of lowering the colours of Denman and The Listener in the Lexus Chase.

The 10-time Grade One winner has landed the Leopardstown feature three times but faces arguably the sternest examination of his career in this year's renewal.

"He's 11 now, coming on 12, but he's still got some spark left in him," said Hourigan. "It's going to be a very good race and we are coming up against two very good horses, two young pretenders.

"The Listener won the Lexus last year and Denman is very exciting, he did nothing wrong in the Hennessy. It will be a very true-run race but you have to be realistic. He'll run a big race, but I'd settle for a share of the prize-money."

Hourigan is also likely to saddle Mossbank in the three-mile feature on December 28th. The seven-year-old is rejuvenated this term, securing back-to-back victories in the Limerick National and the Grade Two Clonmel Oil Chase.

"He will probably line up in the Lexus and then we will find out what we have," Hourigan said. "He stays very well and is a horse that has grown a lot in the last few seasons. He's not a horse who likes a lot of racing."

Francis Flood hopes Be My Leader can make light of a drop in trip to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Lombardstown Mares Novice Chase at Cork on Sunday.

The eight-year-old ran a big race to finish second to Sky's The Limit in the Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse last time, having previously beaten Scotsirish at Galway.

Flood reports his charge to have come out of her recent run in good nick, but admits he would rather this weekend's Listed heat was over a more testing trip than two miles and one furlong. He said: "The plan is to run and we'd like the trip to be a bit further, but at the same time I think she might be good enough to win there."