Escaria Ten is set to take his chance in the Goffs Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park on January 26 – the starting point on a tried-and-tested route to the Randox Grand National on April 15.
The Gordon Elliott-trained nine-year-old finished eighth when making his reappearance in the Gowran feature 12 months ago and went on to finish a nose second to National runner-up Any Second Now in the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse before showing up well for a long way at Aintree to come home ninth.
He was second to Darasso on his return in a Thurles Listed event in December and connections are hoping the benefit of a run will see him primed for a strong showing in the Thyestes Chase, which could be run in ideal conditions for the soft-ground loving son of Maresca Sorrento.
"It was unusually quick ground in the Thyestes last year," said Iain Turner, racing manager for Escaria Ten's owners the McNeill Family.
"Normally it is soft or heavy sort of ground and last year it was yielding, so it wasn't optimum conditions and looking at the weather they have had in Ireland, you are suspecting it will get quite testing.
"Last year we were going to go to the Becher and he just wasn't quite right the day before declarations so we shelved that and it almost forced us to go straight to the Thyestes, whereas this year we got the run in at Thurles.
"It was probably on ground that was quick enough for him over a trip that might be a bit on the short side up against a race-fit Darasso.
"He ran well that day so hopefully we've had our blow-out there and can go to the Thyestes and go closer than we did last year."
On big-race aspirations for later in the season, Turner added: "It will hopefully be a nice stepping stone for some targets in the spring and if all goes well and he does run well, I think we would probably be going Thyestes, Bobbyjo, Aintree.
"It was the way we went last year and we just got nutted by Any Second Now in the Bobbyjo."
Escaria Ten is one of 11 entries for Elliott in the €59,000 contest as he bids for a third win in the race and he could also be represented by the likes of 2021 winner Coko Beach, dual Grade One victor Death Duty and Pencilfulloflead.
Willie Mullins has won this race eight times and is responsible for eight entries amongst the initial 31 contenders.
The Closutton team could include last year's runner-up Franco De Port, Saturday's Warwick Classic Chase runner-up Mr Incredible and Carefully Selected.
Last year's fourth and recent Paddy Power Chase second Diol Ker is one of four possibles for Noel Meade, while an intriguing entrant is Bob Murphy's Darren Hope, who was a shock winner of the Florida Pearl Novice Chase when last sighted.
