Spectroscope might be the "no-brainer" bet at Punchestown today but sometimes the big race answer can be the one staring you right in the face.As the Triumph Hurdle winner, Spectroscope has obvious claims to being the leading juvenile of the season.
A subsequent narrow defeat at Liverpool when conceding weight did little to shake those claims and did plenty to advertise the horse's toughness.
However, two such hard races will lead many to suspect that Jonjo O'Neill might be going to the festival well once too often in the €110,000 IAWS Champion Hurdle.
Three other cross-channel-trained challengers travel over for a race where British-trained horses have won out in three of the last five years.
Nas Na Riogh fell in the Triumph when fancied and Mick Fitzgerald has said she is the Punchestown runner he is most looking forward to riding.
However, the jockey admitted yesterday: "She will need every drop of rain we can get. She is very good on the soft."
Golden Cross would also relish a little more ease in the ground but the Michael Halford runner was a well beaten third in the Triumph and the bare evidence of the Cheltenham race suggests the Irish four-year-olds have something to find.
Liverpool suggested Spectroscope is blessed with an admirable big race temperament and O'Neill knows what is required to win the IAWs having sent Quazar over to score last year.
The IAWS may be the biggest pot of the day but there are a couple of other Grade Ones including the Ballymore Properties Stayers Hurdle.
The absence of Limestone Lad will be keenly felt but an all home-based field does include the star chaser Commanche Court, Saturday's Sandown winner Rostropovich and the quirky but talented Holy Orders.
The latter was the IAWS winner in 2001 and comes here on the back of a stakes winning performance on the flat at Navan on Saturday.
"Holy Orders has it all to do but he was unbelievable at Navan and the trip is interesting," said trainer Willie Mullins.
Shay Barry has the task of getting the best out of him today but the ratings tell us the 127-rated Holy Orders has a lot to find with the 160-marked Sacundai.
Edward O'Grady's horse put in the performance of his life to beat the Champion Hurdler Rooster Booster in the Martell Hurdle.
Everything went right for Sacundai that day and while taking too short a price might not be advisable, he does look the obvious form choice.
There is no Moscow Flyer to dominate the Swordlestown Cup this time and the €85,000 prize looks set for export with Le Roi Miguel.
The Arkle runner-up Impek has over 11 lengths to make up on the Paul Nicholls runner from Liverpool but Le Roi Miguel can give Ruby Walsh a big race winner on his comeback from the mild concussion he suffered on Tuesday.
Dry weather will do wonders for the confidence behind Wotsitooya who bids for a second success in a row in the Castlemartin Stud Pat Taaffe Chase.
The Michael O'Brien-trained runner didn't appear to have too hard a race in last week's Irish National, thrives on quick going and gets a significant amount of weight from the Topham runner-up Macs Gildoran.
The ground also shouldn't be a hindrance to Ground Ball in the novice chase. Charlie Swan's charge looks to have Eskimo Jack to beat.
Mr Wong, a flat winner at Cork recently, looks attractively weighted in the opener and can make a first hurdles start in six months a winning one.
