Barrow Drive has Champion look about him
He comes here on a roll, having won three in-a-row, and his powerful, front-running style is likely to ask serious questions of his rivals.
The selection warmed up for this by completing the hat trick at Galway last month.
That contest was over two miles and a furlong, well short of his best, but Barrow Drive made light of it to beat subsequent winner, Doesheknow, a cosy three lengths.
Top weight Moscow Express is the obvious danger, having produced an excellent display to score on his reappearance, on the level, at the Curragh on Saturday.
He has 16lbs in hand of Barrow Drive at these weights, but that's just in theory and the reality could well be something entirely different!
Whithworth Ben gets the nap to take the Newpark Hotel Novice Hurdle.
A very smart bumper performer, Pat Morris' charge made a fine debut over flights to score at Roscommon over a month ago.
Aidan O'Brien's Some Kind Of Tiger, a half brother to Balanchine, has to get the nod to take the first division of the EBF Maiden.
The Storm Cat colt was returning from a break when beaten a neck into second spot by stable companion, Kimberley Mine, at Fairyhouse.
