Racing Weekend Previews: JP McManus has been spattered across acres of newsprint in recent weeks but Le Coudray can create some happier headlines for the champion owner in tomorrow's Hennessy Gold Cup.
The feature of a star-studded Leopardstown card is one of the few major races on the Irish calendar that McManus hasn't won and he will rarely get a better chance.
Beef Or Salmon's defection and the lack of an overseas contender mean hints for the Cheltenham Gold Cup are likely to be thin on the ground but the Hennessy remains an intriguing contest despite that.
If Florida Pearl can make history and win the Grade One pot for the fourth time there will hardly be a dry eye in the house. The charismatic veteran proved on his comeback at Fairyhouse, when beating Rince Ri, that he is no back number, but as with his stable companion Alexander Banquet, the 2002 Hennessy winner, there is a suspicion the glory days could be past.
Considering only seven line up, there are abundant story lines, including the first start over fences in almost 11 months for last year's Gold Cup third, Harbour Pilot, as well as the first Grade One start for the progressive handicapper Cloudy Bays.
The Troytown and Leopardstown Chase winner is sure to make it a fast pace, which will suit the likes of Rince Ri and Harbour Pilot but remains something of a query over Le Coudray.
Throughout an injury-plagued 20-race career, the ex-French star has displayed abundant class but despite Aidan O'Brien training him to within a half length of the 1999 Stayers Hurdle crown, there remains a lingering doubt about whether Le Coudray's class lasts out over three miles.
Against that is the reality that he has only once raced over that trip in his steeplechase career and that resulted in a runner-up placing to Best Mate in December's Ericsson Chase. Le Coudray travelled beautifully throughout that day and significantly his trainer Christy Roche expects an even better performance now.
Roche said yesterday: "When I ran him in the Durkan at Punchestown he wasn't right. I was confident I had him right for the Ericsson but I'm happy he is better now. Everything with Le Coudray is about how sound he is and he is very well now."
That represents a pretty confident bulletin compared to that of Charles Byrnes, who believes Cloudy Bays is still a little immature for such a race, or Willie Mullins, who has said he would like better ground for Florida Pearl.
The going is not an issue for the McManus runner, who showed in the Ericsson the course and distance should hold no fears. Le Coudray looks the business tomorrow and one can almost hear the cameras whirring and the pens scratching already.
The two other Grade One events will be of immense significance in terms of gauging Irish novice form ahead of the Cheltenham festival. It's hard to get away from Pizarro in the PJ Moriarty Novice Chase but the favourite could be extended by Camden Tanner, who was let down by jumping errors when beaten by Boneyarrow at Gowran Park last month.
The Deloitte Hurdle has Mariah Rollins and Newmill renewing hostilities and Brave Inca trying to bridge the gap from winning form in handicaps. The really intriguing question, however, is whether Watson Lake really is as good as he looked on AIG day, when he was mightily impressive in quickening readily once asked. It was four lengths back to Away Home at the line and he appeared to be worth any multiple of that. This will tell a lot if Watson Lake can graduate into a real Cheltenham candidate.
Hasanpour's Cork victory hasn't exactly been boosted but the ex-Michael Stoute horse still gets a valuable 6lbs from Top Strategy in the Cashmans Juvenile Hurdle. Top Strategy still has a first-rate chance but now the Meade string are back to form it could be worth keeping an eye on the ex-French Stakes winner Power Elite, who ran a race full of promise on his jumping debut at Gowran.
