Akilak has long been considered one of the leading home fancies for today's JCB Triumph Hurdle and if that horse's fans are correct then it spells nothing but good news for at least one of the strong visiting team, Barati.
A total of seven Irish horses line up for the juvenile championship but Michael O'Brien is the only one double-handed with Majlis also looking to have a reasonable shout.
However, Barati looks O'Brien's best chance of adding to a single previous festival success when Shawiya won the Triumph in 1993. And, if nothing else, Barati will at least get the chance to meet a former pal again at the start.
Both he and Akilak were trained on the flat last year by John Oxx with Akilak finishing his career in Ireland by running off a mark of 87 at the Curragh. In contrast Barati's last flat start before being bought by SeáMulryan was off a full 16lb higher and his CV included being placed at Royal Ascot.
Obviously it's a different ball game over jumps and while Barati hasn't won over timber yet he has performed well enough to suggest he is perfectly at home in the winter game. Significantly Barry Geraghty has also switched to him from Mulryan's other hope, the French-trained Bonbon Rose.
Ruby Walsh is a big fan of his horse Cerium while Penzance has been prepared for this day and boasts an impeccable record to date. However, Barati brings a touch of class from the flat and can successfully translate it to the jumps.
The last of the newly-installed festival races is the Brit Insurances Novices Hurdle which will be a severe stamina test for the 20-strong field.
Washington Lad would look to hold a major chance on softer ground but it is still significant that Tony McCoy remains loyal to the horse he won a Grade Three on at Leopardstown last month.
The French hope, Moulin Riche, is another whose form is mostly on soft ground but that is not to say he cannot act on better and the Francois Doumen team have already made their mark at the festival.
Moulin Riche was behind Brewster here on this track in January but made a blunder at an important stage and should relish the extra half mile they have to go now. A good run behind Mephisto at Haydock last time out proved his stamina.
The Nicky Henderson team have bounced right back to form this week and the man who is closing in on 30 career festival winners runs both Geos and Grande Jete in the concluding Vincent O'Brien County Hurdle.
Geos looks exposed at this stage of his career but the same cannot be said about the eight-year-old Grande Jete who is highly regarded at Seven Barrows and is at the right end of the handicap.
Sleeping Night's jumping might let him down in the Foxhunters so Lord Atterbury is an option. He ran terribly in this last year but has had a better preparation now.
Fota Island is the theoretical choice in the Grand Annual but his jumping is a worry and the Paul Nicholls team consider L'Ange Au Ciel one of their best hopes of the week.
SELECTIONS
BRIAN O'CONNOR'S
2.00-BARATI
2.35-MOULIN RICHE
3.15-CELESTIAL GOLD (NAP)
4.00-LORD ATTERBURY
4.40-L'ANGE AU CIEL
5.20-GRANDE JETE
Double: CELESTIAL GOLD and L'ANGE AU CIEL
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