A pair of winners on the opening day of Cheltenham 2003 set the Irish on course for a sparkling festival six-timer overall but the invaders' best hope on Day One of 2004 could end up being Kicking King.
Despite sending a massive seven horses into battle in the opener, four in the Champion Hurdle and a strong team of five in the Pertemps, the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy still looks our best bet and the best bet of all looks to be Tom Taaffe's horse.
The symbolism of Pat Taaffe's son winning the race won't be lost on anyone at Prestbury Park this afternoon but it's not just sentiment that will propel the strapping six-year-old up the final hill.
Thankfully, during a four-race chasing career, Kicking King has also indicated he is much the best horse his trainer has had and an Arkle triumph at Leopardstown last month has already graduated him into the Grade One ranks.
Proven on the course, and with Taaffe confident he has him at a peak, Kicking King looks the best of ours with Colca Canyon and Central House held on Irish form.
The unknown factor is how that Irish form ties in with the English but although the likely favourite Thisthatandtother has been making hay in the trials, it's still hard to forget how he struggled home in last year's Surpeme Hurdle, well behind Kicking King.
That looked a bonus for Kicking King at the time, given that he has always looked a potential chaser. Potential now looks like being finally stamped with achievement.
Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh are also associated with the likely favourite for the Letherby & Christopher Supreme Novices Hurdle as the prolific Albuhera heads the home team against a strong Irish challenge.
That looks to be headed by the Deloitte winner Brave Inca, and trainer Colm Murphy's shrewd hunch that the two-miler would prove an easier option than tomorrow's SunAlliance looks to have been proven correct.
Murphy is confident his horse has enough pace to cope with these but this is a race that will be run at a tempo Brave Inca will not have experienced before. One mistake could prove crucial.
Of the other Irish, the gigantic Zum See is coming into form at the right time while Mariah Rollins remains underrated.
However, those looking for a value-each-way option could do worse than row in with War Of Attrition. It's 21 years since Mouse Morris won this race with Buck House and a tailed-off-last in his previous start is not exactly encouraging for War Of Attrition's fans. However, he easily beat the smart Macs Joy in his previous race to that and showed up well among Willie Mullins's bumper team in a Leopardstown work-out three weeks ago.
Morris also has a serious interest in the Pertemps, where he saddles Keepatem, who along with GVA Ireland represents the best of the form from the Leopardstown qualifier.
Back On Top is in there too and won't be dismissed by any of the Irish punters but it's hard to escape the view that Jonjo O'Neill has a hold on this race.
The trainer runs four including the topweight Tardar, who edged out Iris's Gift at Haydock last time. Behind in fifth on that occasion was Ar Muin Na Muice, who was having her first start over hurdles for almost a year having run twice over fences this season.
There is nothing spectacular in her form this term but she was impressive on good ground at Newbury a year ago and Barry Geraghty, successful last year on Inching Closer, looks a significant booking for a horse that can give the English commentators nightmares.
If the Pertemps looks an O'Neill show then Martin Pipe will be a busy man during the Kim Muir as he strains to keep an eye on his six starters.
Jasmin d'Oudairies, a third to Over The First at Navan recently, represents Willie Mullins while Denis Murphy runs Super Fellow.
However, with Horus topping the weights, his stable companion Mondial Jack gets in with a featherweight and looks a type to thrive on his first step-up to three miles in Britain.
There is no Irish runner to try and follow up Youlneverwalkalone's triumph in last year's William Hill Chase but punters can still come out ahead as this looks an excellent opportunity for Haut Cercy. Runner-up last year, Richard Johnson's mount has had only the one start since, when again finishing second to Kingscliff in December.
At the time the winner looked a potential Gold Cup contender and Haut Cercy looked one to wait for. The waiting can pay off now as Johnson will hopefully be looking for a quick double after Rooster Booster in the Champion Hurdle.
