For almost a decade narrowing down the first Grade One of the National Hunt season has involved concentrating on either cross-channel raiders or Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown Stud team and that again appears the case at Down Royal this Saturday.
The Paul Nicholls-trained veteran Silviniaco Conti has maintained his position as favourite for the JNwine Champion Chase after 15 entries were left in at the latest forfeit stage, including seven from Gigginstown.
O’Leary’s team has won four of the last five renewals of the €140,000 highlight – interrupted only by Kauto Stone becoming Nicholls’ fourth winner of the race in 2012 –and ground conditions will determine the shape of their final challenge.
The going at Down Royal is currently "good" although some rain is expected later in the week which may allow Don Poli make his debut for Gordon Elliott who has two other ex-Willie Mullins hopes still in contention, Outlander and Roi De Francs.
Feature event
Both of those horses, and the Galway Plate hero Lord Scoundrel, also figure among 13 entries for the Grade Two Titanic Belfast Chase on the same card.
However Henry De Bromhead has already confirmed Down Royal's feature event is the plan for another ex-Mullins star, Valseur Lido, while a trio of British-trained hopefuls include the Aintree National runner up, The Last Samurai.
Nicholls’ formidable race record will help focus attention on Silviniaco Conti’s chance. Britain’s champion trainer first won with Taranis in 2007 while the mighty Kauto Star scored twice in 2008 and 2010.
Silviniaco Conti, a former dual-winner of the King George VI Chase, impressed observers in a racecourse gallop at Chepstow last week and is 2-1 favourite in some ante-post lists. Don Poli is next in the betting, followed by Valseur Lido at 6-1.
Noel Meade won the race in 2014 with Gigginstown's Road To Riches and has the option of running Monksland this time while connections of Gilgamboa will also be keeping their fingers crossed for some rain to allow the former Grade One winner begin the new season.
Gigginstown's number one jockey Bryan Cooper has had to delay his comeback from a fractured arm and his absence will have the Gigginstown team potentially juggling jockeys and with Willie Mullins not entering anything in the race, Ruby Walsh could be in line to continue his recent association with the champion owners.
Walsh has ridden both Don Poli and Valseur Lido in the past, winning a Grade One on the latter and memorably being unseated from Valseur Lido in last season’s Irish Gold Cup.
There will be Grade Three action at both Sunday meetings in Naas and Cork where Alpha Des Obeaux could make his next start over fences in the featured novice chase. Thirteen remain in that Cork event which was one of the races given an automatic 45 minute supplementary period under new Horse Racing Ireland regulations in relation to races which have attracted less than ten entries at the time of entries closing.
The same regulation was employed for the Poplar Square Chase at Naas which nevertheless still has only nine entries left in it, including the former high class hurdler, Kitten Rock, and Willie Mullins’s Hennessy hopeful, Avant Tout.
Just seven remain in a €21,000 conditions hurdle at Naas but it is an entry crammed with Grade One talent, including the Triumph Hurdle winner, Ivanovich Gorbatov, Jer's Girl and the Prix Alain Du Breil victor, Footpad. Ground conditions at Naas are currently "good to yielding" but some rain is forecast later this week.
