Tony Martin plans to take just two horses to Cheltenham but bookmakers will be keeping a wary eye out for the prolific Dun Doire who has a choice of festival engagements.
Dun Doire has been making the layers pay this season during a hot streak of five victories in a row that culminated with a gambled-on success in January's Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park.
Now Martin is planning to tackle the festival with his stable star who is currently a 5 to 1 favourite for the William Hill Chase on the opening day but who is also a possible for the four-mile National Hunt Chase on the third day.
"An awful lot depends on the ground and we're also waiting for confirmation that Paul Carberry would be available to ride in the race on Tuesday. If he is, and the ground is on the soft side of good, then we will run in that race. If the going is good or better then we would switch to the four-miler where Johnny Farrelly would take 7lb off him," Martin said yesterday.
"The jockey situation is important. I would love Paul to ride. As far as I know, he will, but we're waiting for confirmation of what Noel Meade is doing in the race," he added.
Dun Doire's progress through the ranks paid off in style in the Thyestes but the handicapper upped the horse by 12lb to a mark of 127 on the back of that success.
"What we've found out now is that the handicapper in England has given him another 2lb over there so he will running off 129. It's strange but it seems to be the way things are over there," said Martin, who landed a popular festival success with Xenophon in the 2004 Coral Cup.
His other Cheltenham hope this year will be Ross River who has the Racing Post Plate, formerly the Mildmay Of Flete, as a target.
Willie Mullins has nominated the Triumph Hurdle favourite Mister Hight as his main hope for success at Cheltenham and added that his Arkle Trophy hope Missed That has a big chance on the opening day.
With Quatre Heures more likely to run in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, Mister Hight should be the sole Mullins runner in the Triumph and if the ground is on the soft side of good he will go there with confidence behind him.
"He's the one that I would expect most improvement from between now and Cheltenham," Mullins said. "His best performances on the flat have been on soft but he is a harder horse to ride on the flat on good ground. Ruby (Walsh) should be able to hold him together better and the hurdles give him something else to think about."
Missed That is also at the top of the Arkle market after winning the Irish version at Leopardstown in January and will be reunited with Walsh who rode him to win the bumper last year.
"He has showed a liking for the track and provided he settles into his jumping early I think he must have a hell of a chance," said the trainer who also had an upbeat report of his other big novice chase hope, Our Ben, a favourite for the SunAlliance.
"I looked at the video of last year's SunAlliance Hurdle again recently and I couldn't believe where he was at the last and where he finished. If he reproduces that kind of finishing power he must have a chance," Mullins said.
No final decision has been taken on whether or not the Grand National winner Hedgehunter will run in the Gold Cup but Mullins believes the horse will not be without a chance if he does take part.
"The extra quarter mile from the Hennessy will be a big help," he said. "If everything is right he wouldn't be out of the picture."
