Trainer Christy Roche is hopeful rather than confident about Afarad's chances in the 14th Ladbroke at Leopardstown on Saturday.
Soft going at the course is causing Roche most concern over the five-year-old's chances. Afarad, owned by JP McManus, was third behind Katarino in the Elite Racing Club Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and in the IAWS Champion FourYear-Old Hurdle at Punchestown the following month, and also finished second to Hors La Loi III in the Glenlivet Anniversary Novices' Hurdle at Aintree.
"He's in good form and Charlie (Swan) will ride him," Roche said yesterday. "We'd prefer good ground. All his best runs, at Cheltenham, Liverpool and Punchestown, have been on good ground so I'd be more hopeful than confident on soft."
The gelding will only be having his seventh run over timber in the Ladbroke and Roche said: "I don't think that will bother him. He's well travelled, he's raced at Cheltenham, Liverpool and Leopardstown so he's picked up plenty of experience."
Afarad is currently favourite with Ladbrokes for the £100,000 contest but that does not worry the trainer. "I see the sponsors have him as 4 to 1 favourite but I don't think Mr McManus will be too bothered what price he'll be - it's just a nice race to win," Roche added. "I think the price is out of respect for the owner rather than because of support.
"Knife Edge is the one we've got to beat - he handles the ground and he seems to be well."
The going at Leopardstown is currently soft and is unlikely to be much firmer on Saturday.
Racecourse manager Tom Burke said: "We had some heavy rain this morning which didn't last very long but the going is soft.
"Our forecast for the week is reasonably good - a bit mixed but no huge amounts of rain. There is some rain forecast on Friday night.
"The ground is in good condition and we don't foresee any problems.
"If the forecast is correct it should go back a bit this week so with the rain on Friday the going shouldn't get much worse than it is at the moment."
Ferdy Murphy has the first of what could be many runners at Cagnes-sur-Mer in the south of France today. His stable stalwart Paddy's Return runs in a hurdle race at the Riviera course as Murphy lays the foundations for a satellite yard there.
Paddy's Return was to be partnered by Adrian Maguire but the jockey will miss the ride as he is still suffering the effects of a fall at Uttoxeter on Sunday. Murphy said yesterday: "Adrian won't be riding him tomorrow. He'll run when he'll be ridden by Pascal Marion. Adrian goes over there, subject to being all right at the weekend, to ride Albrighton on Sunday.
"Then he'll ride Paddy's Return the following Wednesday in the Cagnes-sur-Mer Champion Hurdle. That's worth £20,000 to the winner so it's good money."
The Middleham trainer has a long-term plan to send horses to France to avoid the worst of the British weather and to make the most of opportunities abroad. "It's something we're looking at long-term, sending horses out from the middle of December to the middle of January. The weather there this morning was 72 degrees. The wind was blowing here this morning and it was about 10 below so it makes a big difference to the horses."
