I Can Imagine has real grounds for hope

It might be a Sunday rather than a Friday but the only real thing that has changed in the Paddy Power Handicap Chase is that conditions will probably be even more testing.

An ability to act on the most extreme going will be vital if a horse is to hold a chance and those scanning the formbook can reasonably narrow the reading to those races featuring "heavy" in the ground description.

Happily for Co Cork-trainer Robert Tyner, the likely favourite, I Can Imagine, has just such a recent bit of form to argue a case that is becoming more convincing with time.

The first of three hurdles starts this season was a third to Montayral at Galway in late October, a notable effort for a mare whose forte is staying chases.

Last year, I Can Imagine won the Paddy Power off a mark 17lbs lower than tomorrow and that was on "yielding" going. It will be a lot different this time but she still looks to have a solid case for giving Tyner a third successive victory in the €170,000 showpiece.

Precious Music is a confirmed three-mile stayer with a fantastic ability to jump a fence while Finian's Ivy has a low weight and also has won on the heavy. Even they, however, should find I Can Imagine a hard nut to crack.

The eight-race programme now also features the Evening Herald December Festival Hurdle which has been retained from the original Sunday card. It has the reappearance of the Cheltenham winner Like-A-Butterfly whose only career defeat was at the Punchestown Festival in April.

The mare has reportedly been slow coming to hand this season and Christy Roche and JP McManus are not expecting the definitive test of her Champion Hurdle claims to come until the AIG next month.

On testing ground, she looks vulnerable on her seasonal debut and Liss A Paoraigh is the obvious alternative.

Two miles is clearly short of her best but she is still effective at it and at least the bane of her life Limestone Lad is not among the opposition. If he hasn't sickened her already this season, then Liss A Paoraigh looks to have the stamina to win out.

Moscow Flyer goes in the Dial A Bet Chase and it looks the ideal way to get his season back on track after a fifth-fence disaster in the Tingle Creek at Sandown.

The Champion Chase hopeful is rated 10lbs clear of last year's winner Knife Edge and as a Denny winner from last year he is proven around the track.

Limestone Lad's stablemate Solerina goes in the novice hurdle against four opponents and the two-mile trip. Heavy going helps her out on the latter score but the confirmed front-runner will still need to be at her best.

Kadiskar is a fancied runner from the Roche camp but Solerina's big danger could be Central House who looks a progressive horse with stamina to spare.

Jack High appears to have a reasonable weight in the handicap judged on his last race success and could reward a double bet with the smart bumper performer, Laurel View, in the second race.

The Boys In Green is a half brother to the high-class Joe Mac and looks the obvious one to beat in the bumper.

Newlands Gold put a length and a half between himself and the expensive Mirpour at Navan and could just edge out in front in what looks a trappy three-year-old hurdle.

I Can Imagine, seen here on her way to victory in last year's race, can give trainer Robert Tyner a third successive win in the €170,000 showpiece at Leopardstown on Sunday.