His record away from home may be less than brilliant but Beef Or Salmon can prove yet again today at Down Royal that when it comes to his own patch he remains very much a force to be reckoned with.

The Michael Hourigan-trained star bids to become the first back-to-back winner of the Grade One James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase and looks capable of pulling it off despite the presence of the young pretender War Of Attrition.

After all there was another young pretender in the race last year and Beef Or Salmon put Kicking King firmly in his place on that occasion. But that also only served to underline the frustrating aspect to Beef Or Salmon.

A pair of Leopardstown Christmas wins, including a seven-length defeat of Best Mate last year, has always promised so much for cross-channel raids but on the three occasions he has left Ireland Beef Or Salmon has been close to dismal.

Those three races, all in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, have yielded one fall, one pull up and one fourth. For a horse with a close on 50 per cent National Hunt strike rate overall it has been a desperate dividend.

That, however, is not an issue this time and Hourigan was in confident form yesterday. "It would be nice to win it again. No horse has won it twice after all," said the Co Limerick trainer. "He is absolutely fine. He had a nice warm up on the flat in the Cesarawitch which was always the plan."

Crucially there are no concerns about the testing conditions with Beef Or Salmon but the same cannot be said of War Of Attrition, who will be attempting three miles for the first time.

The only times he has been beaten over fences were also when he left home turf but that defeat of Kicking King at Punchestown last week means War Of Attrition is as low as 10 to 1 for the Gold Cup, well clear of Beef Or Salmon.

Kicking King proved last year that defeat in this race doesn't ruin a season and, while War Of Attrition might be a better long term option, it looks like Beef Or Salmon's day today.

At two miles Watson Lake would be a warm fancy for the Killultagh Properties Chase but the extra half mile could stretch his stamina and the dour-staying Forget The Past might be a better option.

Fortmassini has a 6lb penalty for winning at Punchestown on Wednesday which doesn't look enough to stop a follow up in the first handicap hurdle while the Navan flat winner Victram looks to have an ideal weight in the valuable two-mile handicap hurdle.