Istabraq will try to bring an anti-climactic season to a successful end at Leopardstown today, but worryingly his trainer, Aidan O'Brien, was yesterday making fitness comparisons to that shock New Year's Eve when the champion fell.
That's the only time in eight races over Leopardstown's two miles that Istabraq hasn't won, and although the £1m earner later bounced back to his brilliant best in the AIG, the interrupted campaign that saw him denied a chance at a fourth Champion Hurdle could now be taking its toll.
O'Brien said yesterday: "Fitness wise, he is probably at the same stage he was for his first run of the season. It's been a long time since he has run, he has had two breaks and I just hope the ground is not too bad. But it's great they're racing and it's great to have a race to run in."
Leopardstown's racing manager Tom Burke confirmed there is rain forecast for this afternoon but added the Istabraq factor will help in getting the crowds to the Dublin track.
"It's good racing anyway but Istabraq will certainly be a help. I'm hoping a crowd in the region of 8,000 will be here, but maybe I'm optimistic considering the worrying way things have gone at Fairyhouse this week," Burke said.
The usual suspects are ranged against Istabraq in the £115,000 Shell Champion, which he won in 1999 and which was landed by another JP McManus-owned runner in Grimes last year.
Istabraq has regularly met and beaten the likes of Mosocw Flyer, Mantles Prince and Penny Rich, while having a colossal 25lb in hand on official ratings. The dark horse is Colonel Yeager, who won after a long absence at Gowran last week but even with fitness doubts it will still be a major surprise if Istabraq is turned over for the second time in a season.
Sackville goes for a second win in four days, and seven in a row, when having to give weight all round in the £75,000 Captain Christy Novice Handicap, but will still be a major fancy to defy the weight and the Wednesday winner, David's Lad, who has to carry a 14lb penalty.
Frances Crowley has ruled out a try at the Irish National in favour of this and the Power Gold Cup next week, and kept to other novices, Sackville looks a class act.
The other Grade One race on the card is the paddypower.com bumper where Willie Mullins's Davenport Milenium can prove how potent a runner he would have been at Cheltenham had it gone ahead.
Mullins won this race with Maringo six years ago and since then his ability to produce the top bumper horses is unrivalled. Davenport Milenium has always had a big reputation and the Mullins runner can prove it today.
