Esprit can outstay Gold Cup rivals
Willie Mullins' charge has been plagued by indifferent technique in the past, but the shrewd handler built up his confidence with two easy touches this season, before challenging for the Hennessy at Leopardstown in February.
The grey produced a decent display of jumping and staying power to beat Roberto Goldback by two lengths and the hope now is that he can improve again.
Quel Esprit did, of course, have to miss the Cheltenham Gold Cup, after Paul Townend, on the morning of the race, expressed concerns regarding his well-being, but he is reported to be back on song and giving every satisfaction of late.
Rubi Light, who will revel in the conditions, has to be put forward as the main danger. He is a class act, but this slog is surely going to test his suspect stamina to the full.
The other Grade 1 on the card, the AES Champion four-year-old Hurdle, can go to Dermot Weld's Hisaabaat.
The surface certainly won't be ideal, but he has shown an ability to handle heavy ground in the past and that's encouraging.
Hisaabaat has improved throughout the season, putting up a career-best performance when second to Countrywide Flame in the Triumph at Cheltenham.
That form could hardly be working out any better with the third then, Grumeti, going on to beat Countrywide Flame in a Grade 1 at Aintree.
The Grade 3 Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Fillies Scheme EBF Mares' Hurdle is best left to Nicky Henderson's Une Artiste.
She has a very progressive profile, taking the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham festival and then returning to the track nine days ago to win in a canter.
At Navan tomorrow, Aidan O'Brien's Athens gets the nap in the Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Race for colts and geldings.
He can be expected to come on plenty for finishing fourth to Light Heavy in the Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown and showed at Listowel last season that heavy ground holds no fears for him.
O'Brien can also supply the solution to the Listed Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Salsabil Stakes with once-raced Kissed, who won her maiden on soft ground at this track in October.
