Racing Leopardstown Preview: Just eight runners line up for tomorrow's AIG Champion Hurdle and while Spirit Leader was being rated a clear favourite yesterday no one is claiming this will be anything like a straightforward Cheltenham trial.
The Jessica Harrington-trained mare is the shortest priced of these for the festival at 10 to 1 but the trainer of the sole British-raider, Flame Creek, echoed what many will be thinking ahead of the Leopardstown feature.
"You could run this race five times and get a different result every time," said Noel Chance whose public criticism of jockey Seamus Durack after his riding of Flame Creek at Christmas hasn't resulted in a change of pilot.
"Flame Creek is a quirky horse and sometimes you can change a jockey who'll say he would have won had he known the horse better," Chance said yesterday.
"His misdemeanour last time was a kick up the backside defence, not a sacking offence!"
There is also a French raider in the shape of the Thierry Doumen-trained and ridden Foreman who ran fourth to Intersky Falcon at Kempton over Christmas.
He presents an interesting form link to the top British hurdlers but the most interesting form guide for this race is the shock 66 to 1 Bewleys Hotel Hurdle victory of Golden Cross last month. Durack mistook the winning post that day, hence Chance's "arse-kicking", which allowed Spirit Leader in for a clear second but the reality is that both have a length and a half to make up. Golden Cross could well repeat that effort but there is a genuine worry about where the pace is going to come from this time, a worry shared by Spirit Leader's trainer Jessica Harrington.
Willie Mullins's worry is that Davenport Milenium's recent work has been "alright" and no more. That is hardly earth-shattering confidence, so in the circumstances it could be that the bookies have got it right with Spirit Leader as favourite.
In contrast there will be plenty of glum faces if Kicking King doesn't at least cement his position as 6 to 1 second favourite for the Arkle at Cheltenham with victory in the Leopardstown version. The presence of Central House, who took advantage of Kicking King's second last exit here at Christmas, Direct Bearing and Mossy Green make this an intriguing contest.
But the Tom Taaffe-trained horse has made such an overall impression in his last two starts that he could well initiate a Grade One double for jockey Barry Geraghty.
The season's leading rider may also be on the mark in the opener now that John Oliver is set to get less taxing ground than he did at Christmas.
After a month without a winner due to sickness in the yard, Noel Meade got off the mark again at Gowran on Thursday. If that represents a genuine return to form then there will be plenty of interest in the novice hurdle hope Watson Lake and the smart bumper performer Afistfullofdollars.
