Sempre Medici is expected to enhance Willie Mullins' excellent recent record in the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park on Saturday.
The all-conquering Mullins has saddled three of the last four winners of this Grade Two event at his local track and Sempre Medici will be a warm order to give weight and a beating to four rivals in the hands of Ruby Walsh.
The six-year-old ran a fantastic race to fill the runner-up spot in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham on his penultimate start and comfortably landed prohibitive odds in the Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas last month.
The trainer's son and assistant Patrick Mullins said: " It looks a very good opportunity. He's well clear on ratings and you'd be disappointed if he didn't win. Having said that, we used to have Sizing Tennessee and he's a horse we always thought was very good.
"He ran in the Champion Bumper for us and we thought he'd be well up to running at Grade Two level, so he'd be the one I'll be keeping an eye on."
Sizing Tennessee opened his account for his new trainer Henry de Bromhead when edging out subsequent chase winner Bright New Dawn over hurdles at Navan last month. Davy Russell takes over in the saddle from the sidelined Jonathan Burke.
"Sempre Medici is obviously rated a lot higher than us, but we were delighted with our horse the last day. This is a step up in class for him and it will tell us which way we're heading," said De Bromhead.
Pat Fahy is confident stable star Morning Assembly can build on last month's tremendous comeback run in the Red Mills Chase.
The nine-year-old mixed it with the very best as a novice chaser a couple of seasons ago, most notably finishing third in the 2014 RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.
However, after occupying the same position at Punchestown the following month, Morning Assembly was sidelined for the best part of two years prior to his Fairyhouse return a fortnight ago, where he shaped with huge promise in defeat. He steps up in grade for his second start back, but Fahy is expecting him to make his presence felt.
"Davy (Russell) minded him at Fairyhouse. He could have killed them all off from four out, but we didn't want him to have too hard a race on his first run back," said the Leighlinbridge-based trainer.
"He came out of the race very well and I think the run will bring him on. He needed to have a kind race and I think we'll get our rewards for that. He'll be close to 100 per cent on Saturday, so I'd like to see him racing accordingly. I'm expecting a big show.
"He's in the Grand National and he has a few options in Cheltenham, but we'll see how things go and make a plan from there."
The four-strong field is headed by Smashing, who made a successful start to the campaign over the course and distance in November before landing a Listed prize at Thurles last month for De Bromhead and Russell.
De Bromhead said: "He's in good form and won well the last day. It's a step up in class for him and we'll see how we get on."
The Mullins-trained Ballycasey was well beaten on his first start since last May in the Thyestes Chase here three weeks ago, but connections expect him to strip fitter for the run.
Patrick Mullins said: "It was probably a big ask to run him in a race like the Thyestes on his first run of the year and you'd hope he'll improve from it. I think two and a half miles probably suits him better and he is a course and distance winner.
"Smashing has good form, but we're hoping our horse will step up his game and we'll be disappointed if he isn't involved in the finish."