Leopardstown Preview: Hi Cloy might not have the most obvious credentials for today's Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown but this supposed doubtful stayer could still be the big-priced value to provide Paul Carberry with a fairytale return from injury.

Carberry will end an 18-day absence from racecourse action at today's prestigious meeting which has been switched from the Sunday to avoid a clash with tomorrow's Ireland v France rugby international at Croke Park.

The outstanding big-race jockey injured a knee in a hunting accident but the ever-colourful Carberry could hardly have picked a better day to return. Success on Florida Pearl in 2000 and Beef Salmon last year proves his Hennessy pedigree but the rest of his career indicates he should be the absolutely ideal jockey for the task that Hi Cloy faces.

If there is one thing Carberry is renowned for, it is smuggling speed horses through a pack to arrive late on the scene. There's no pack to speak of today, with just five runners, but Carberry should be still be a study in conservation on board Michael Hourigan's second string.

His old friend, Beef Or Salmon, is obvious number one, being a double Hennessy winner already and with three Lexus victories around Leopardstown into the bargain.

He did, however, come up eight lengths short of The Listener in the Lexus seven weeks ago, a fact that didn't seem to lessen Hourigan's enthusiasm for the task one bit yesterday.

"I don't know if he should have won the last day but he was left a bit out of his ground and the race was almost over before it started. I suppose we will ride him a bit handier this time," said Hourigan who has decided to put first-time blinkers on Beef Or Salmon.

Beef Or Salmon is on the trail of a 10th Grade One success but that Lexus was a first top-level victory for The Listener who will again be ridden by the Wexford jockey Daryl Jacob.

Dorset trainer Robert Alner reported yesterday: "It's hard to see how Beef Or Salmon will do better this time but it is a different race. And the ground will help. Our horse can act on impossible ground. It can't be too wet."

Forget The Past, a late replacement for In Compliance, and the dour-staying novice Patsy Hall, will also be at home in the conditions, as indeed will Hi Cloy. The problem most will have with Hourigan's number two is the three-mile trip although it might well be worth betting that such fears are over-stated.

Hi Cloy may be a triple Grade One winner at two and a half, and also a Grade One victor at two miles, but he is hardly unproven at the longer distance.

He did after all win at three miles on soft ground as a novice at Limerick in 2004 and only two other attempts at the trip yielded top class placed efforts, including a fine third to War Of Attrition at Punchestown last year.

He is now an older, more seasoned horse and there was a lot to like about the way he ran second to Forget The Past at Thurles last time after running much too keenly throughout.

That freshness will be gone now and significantly Hourigan added yesterday: "I wouldn't be surprised if Hi Cloy ran very well. If he gets the trip, he'll go very close.

"And we've got a genius to help us with that."

The perfect man for Hi Cloy does, indeed, look to be back and any big prices floating about for such a quality partnership will look tempting.