Merdeka faces the acid test as he steps up to Grade Two company for the first time in tomorrow's Woodlands Park 100 Slaney Novice Hurdle at Naas.
Tom Taaffe's well-regarded charge disappointed on his hurdling debut, but bounced back with a useful win at Fairyhouse last time.
He faces six rivals in the two-and-a-half-mile event, including the Noel Meade-trained Toofarback.
"I was pleased when he won at Punchestown and I thought he did it well enough - we just have to hope he is good enough now," Meade said.
Alexander Taipan, fourth in Grade One company, also lines up along with Vic Venturi, Mister Top Notch, Thyne Again and Wild Ocean.
Cheltenham Festival hopeful Wild Passion takes a drop in class as he lines up for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Chase.
The six-year-old finished second in a Grade Two chase before following home Missed That in a Grade One event at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day.
Meade was not totally satisfied with Wild Passion's jumping that day so he has elected to run the horse in a lower grade rather than school him at home ahead of another big-race assignment.
"He goes to Naas as I just felt a run might be better for him than a good school," he said yesterday.
"We just want to get him to concentrate a little bit more on his jumping. He ran a good race last time but we felt he just didn't jump as well as he could so this race would be as good as giving him a school before the Irish Arkle (at Leopardstown on January 29th), which is his next target.
"There's a couple in there, McGruders Cross and Arteea, that are pretty good, but if he puts his best foot forward, he should have a good chance."
Wild Passion, who finished second in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham last year, is a general 16 to 1 chance for the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy at this season's festival.
Meade, meanwhile is happy with the way Harchibald is progressing from surgery on a leg problem. The seven-year-old underwent an operation last Sunday to remove a piece of birch from his off-hind pastern and the trainer said: "It's a case of so far so good and we are happy he is going the right way. It will be a couple of weeks before we can make a definite decision."
