Racing: Norman Williamson will ride Behrajan if, as looks increasingly likely, the English challenger takes his place in Sunday's Hennessy Gold Cup field.
Behrajan's trainer Henry Daly made a flying visit to Ireland yesterday afternoon to check out the ground at Leopardstown and was happy with what he found.
"I was very impressed and the situation now is that basically we will be coming over for Sunday's race. Our only worry is wind and the ferry crossing," he said.
Daly added: "We would very much like to come over and I am perfectly happy with the ground. There is rain forecast but I doubt if that will change our minds. The only decision now is to do with the ferries."
The going at Leopardstown remains "heavy" but no one is pressing any panic buttons just yet despite the last three scheduled fixtures in Ireland being called off.
"Rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow night but we are not thinking of contingency plans at the moment," confirmed the Leopardstown racing manager Tom Burke.
"The forecasters are telling us there will be between five to 10 millimetres of rain for each of the next couple of nights but if that turned into 20-25mms then things could change. We are just looking at things day by day," he added.
That same forecast rain is provoking some anxiety among the Naas authorities about their own fixture scheduled for Saturday. A spokeswoman said the track was "fine at the moment" but warned of heavy rain being forecast.
The main focus, however, is on Leopardstown, and Tom Burke was delighted with Daly's report and the prospect of Behrajan trying to become the first English raider to lift the Hennessy prize since the triple winner Jodami in 1995.
Behrajan has an alternative engagement in Saturday's Aon Chase at Newbury, and Daly will leave a final decision on the horse's weekend target until tomorrow.
On the Leopardstown supporting card, Christy Roche yesterday confirmed both Youlneverwalkalone and Silver Steel on course for the Dr P J Moriarty Novice Chase.
"The jockey arrangements are the same as last time, with Paul Moloney on Youlneverwalkalone and Alan Crowe on Silver Steel. Both are in good nick," the trainer said.
Roche will also be represented by Like-A-Butterfly in the Deloitte & Touche Novice Hurdle despite the mare having to concede weight all round due to her Grade One Royal Bond Hurdle victory in December.
"It's something I'm going to have to think about in future because winning the Royal Bond has a good horse giving weight away all the way through to Cheltenham," he said.
There should also be Cheltenham hints in the Cashmans Juvenile Hurdle, where the Triumph Hurdle gamble, Turtleback, is scheduled to possibly face the highly rated newcomer from the Ted Walsh yard, Monitoring.
Turtleback's trainer Edward O'Grady has also entered the Irish Grand National third, Sheltering, for the hunter chase on Sunday. Sheltering is currently ante-post favourite for the Foxhunters at Cheltenham.
