Any Currency is out to repeat his victory of 12 months ago in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham tomorrow.
Any Currency is out to repeat his victory of 12 months ago in the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham tomorrow.
But while the conditions of the race are in his favour, he does have a former Gold Cup runner-up in On His Own to contend with.
Last time out over the unique track in November, Martin Keighley's popular stayer was giving lumps of weight away to the eventual winner, Enda Bolger's Josies Orders, whom he meets again.
This race is a level-weights affair, which means Any Currency meets the rest on much more favourable terms - all apart from one runner that is.
On His Own, second to Lord Windermere in a dramatic running of the Gold Cup in 2014 after being hampered after the last, is now being aimed at these races.
Since being second in last season's Lexus Chase, his form tailed off and he was well beaten in the Risk Of Thunder Chase at Punchestown last month.
"The change in conditions obviously suits us, but it doesn't get any easier as there's a Gold Cup runner-up," said Keighley.
"It's a massive help with it being level weights, he gave 23lb to the winner the last day so he's going to have to improve an awful lot to beat us.
"It's a shame Aidan Coleman can't ride him as he knows him so well, but John Ferguson needs him at Doncaster. We've got Richard Johnson instead, and he knows his way around there having won on Balthazar King a few times.
"The ground will be fine and any more rain will help bring his stamina into play. He's goes there with a favourite's chance and I hope he does what he did last year."
Enda Bolger has been the man to follow for so long in races of this nature in England and Ireland, but he thinks his two runners Josies Orders and Love Rory could be up against it.
"We're meeting Any Currency on much worse terms, it's going to be tough at the weights," said Bolger.
"He's a cross-country horse, though, so he's going to have to carry it. He had a lot of luck the last day, too but he's only seven so you'd like to think he's still improving.
"Love Rory is only seven, also, but he's won two cross-country races at Punchestown so carries the full penalty. I'd be hoping for a good run from him.
"Both are capable of running into a place."
Of the 14 declared runners, nine are trained in Ireland.
The only ones not travelling from the Emerald Isle are Any Currency, Paul Nicholls' Sire Collonges, Tom George's Kilbree Kid, Richard Hobson's Valadom and Martalin, sent over from France by Patrice Quinton.