Barry Connell is quietly confident Marine Nationale can land the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday.
A winner of two bumpers, a maiden hurdle and the Grade One Royal Bond at Fairyhouse, he remains unbeaten for the Kildare handler.
The famous Cheltenham roar will be heard at the start of the extended two-mile contest, where the six-year-old takes on 13 opponents.
It is a field dominated by Irish-trained runners, with last year's Champion Bumper winner and subsequent Leopardstown Grade One novice hurdle winner, the Willie Mullins-trained Facile Vega, heading the market.
Il Etait Temps, who upset much-vaunted stablemate Facile Vega in the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle on his last run at Leopardstown, is also among the leading protagonists.
Connell feels Marine Nationale is the one to beat, however.
"He is a late developer. He has only just started running in the last year," he said. "Marine has done us proud.
"Last time, in the Grade One, not a lot went right for him. The ground turned soft. But he has a great temperament. He might race a little bit exuberantly, but he is not burning any energy.
"He is in great shape and we are happy with how the preparation has gone. It has gone without a hiccup really.
"He is a Grade One winner. We are not going there chancing our arm with a maiden hurdle winner."
Connell also appears to have a strong chance with Good Land in Wednesday's Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.
He added: "They both have the credentials and I think they have all the attributes you need to be successful in a Grade One at Cheltenham.
"They are both strong travellers with plenty of stamina, good temperaments and they jump great.
"It's not a place you go with social runners – you are better off going somewhere else. I wouldn't be taking them if I didn't think we had a genuine chance of winning – and I think they both have.
"If we get the rub of the green – the usual caveats in the two races – I think they will be hard to beat."
Winner of the Champion Bumper 12 months ago, Facile Vega may top the betting as he bids to bounce back from a disappointing effort when weakening quickly at Leopardstown last month, yet Mullins feels Il Etait Temps should not be forgotten, provided he settles.
He said: "I've always thought he was fair horse, which is why we ran him in the races we did last year and he ended up being a novice for this year.
"What's disappointed me about him this year was his jumping – he just wasn't putting it together.
"Even at the Dublin Racing Festival he made a mistake at the first, but Danny (Mullins) said to me when he turned down the back, he pinged his hurdles and put it all together.
"I know the two in front made things easier for him, but he's going to keep learning and once he gets it all together, who knows how good he could be?
"He's very keen, but once he learns to settle I think his jumping will come together and he'll improve again. I think he's going to be a proper Grade One horse."
Reflecting on Facile Vega's defeat when hosting a press stable visit last month, Mullins said: "I had resigned when I saw what was happening going past the winning post first time round. I said 'unless he's an absolute aeroplane, they can't keep that up'.
"Someone said the time going to the fourth or fifth hurdle was a furlong quicker than the Irish Champion Hurdle – it was headless what went on.
"I was disappointed what happened, not that he was beaten as every horse gets beaten at some stage.
"Paul (Townend) knows himself and he'll adjust things for the next day on the different horses that he rode. When you go to big races like that you learn a lot about your horse and he'll have all that sorted for the next day."
Olly Murphy saddles two unbeaten hurdlers in Chasing Fire and Strong Leader. The former has won all three races this term by a combined total of 38 lengths, while the latter is similarly three-from-three this term.
Murphy said: "Chasing Fire is in good form and has had a very smooth preparation, so fingers crossed he gets a clear run round and he'll have an each-way chance.
"The other lad is not to be discounted either. He has had a very good preparation and has been very good to date. If he gets into a rhythm, he could well out-run his price as well."
The Joseph O'Brien-trained High Definition, who went down a neck in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup on the Flat in May when handled by Aidan O'Brien, has had just two runs over hurdles.
The classy performer landed his maiden with ease at Leopardstown on Boxing Day, before unshipping JJ Slevin in the Grade One won by Il Etait Temps at the same track.
O'Brien holds the five-year-old in high esteem and said: "He over-jumped and stood on himself on landing. It was one of those things.
"You'd love to have a little more experience going into Cheltenham, but it is what it is.
"It looks a very good race and an open race, and we hope he can be in the mix – he's certainly a very talented horse."
Tahmuras, who landed the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown in January, is the best of the British challengers, according to the betting.
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls feels the easy ground will help his chance.
"Soft ground will be in his favour because he stays well and won a point to point in Ireland on his debut," Nicholls told his Betfair blog.
"He has plenty of ability, schooled nicely on Thursday morning and probably wants two and a half miles already.
"The faster they go, the better he will run. I see him in the mould of Noland and Al Ferof, two strong stayers who won this race for us. He is in top shape."
