FAST ground is responsible for decimating the Aon Chase field today but different factors account for an uncompetitive renewal of another Gold Cup rehearsal, the Irish Hennessy at Leopardstown tomorrow.
With Kicking King and Rule Supreme ruled out for the season and War Of Attrition being kept on ice for Cheltenham, Hedgehunter is the only credible challenger to Beef Or Salmon, the Gold Cup favourite, who will start long odds-on in an uninspiring field of eight.
British interest focuses on Exeter, where the reappearance of the Arkle Chase favourite, Racing Demon, is the feature of a good card. A listed novice hurdle has attracted Boychuk and Manners, while Paul Nicholls declared two of his leading novices, Denman and Noland, in case prior engagements were lost to the weather.
Denman can already be discounted, having scored a facile victory at Bangor yesterday after the withdrawal of his market rival Black Jack Ketchum, who instead heads to Warwick today.