Dermot Weld has confirmed Stage Affair on course to tackle Istabraq in Sunday's AIG Europe Champion Hurdle, but the Leopardstown authorities will be hoping for a less dramatic opening to that big day than they "enjoyed" yesterday.

It was only 50 minutes before the first race that racing received the official green light to proceed as scheduled after some of the severe overnight frost steadfastly refused to disappear from the ground.

The length of the straight was of particular concern and the Leopardstown racing manager Tom Burke confessed to "worry" at 10.00. By 11.00 that had officially turned to "concern" and at noon the clerk of the course Joe Collins was still inspecting the ground in the straight.

There were suggestions that racing would be postponed by up to an hour to allow the bright sunshine do its work but all ended well and the track got the all-clear at 12.10.

There is much less uncertainty about Stage Affair's attempt to go one better than his AIG second to Istabraq last year but riding plans are less definite. Tony McCoy was Stage Affair's regular rider last season, but Ruby Walsh rode the horse into second behind Moscow Flyer on New Year's Eve.

"I've been delighted with him since and I just hope we get better ground than we got the last day," said Weld, who will think about a prospective chasing career for Stage Affair after this weekend. "We'll just see how he runs on Sunday," Weld added.

One horse who will not take his chance against Istabraq is the English-trained Hors La Loi. His owner Paul Green said: "He's still a bit burly and James (Fanshawe) still has a fair bit to do with him. He may run in the Cleeve Hurdle towards the end of the month or in the Agfa Hurdle at Sandown the following week. But we've always said that Cheltenham in March is the target."