The late defection of Dorans Pride from the £32,000 Powers Champion Chase takes some of the gloss off the start of Gowran's three-day fixture but the presence of Imperial Call should bring out the crowds.
Michael Hourigan said Dorans Pride will wait for the Nicholson Champion Chase at Down Royal on November 6th after his owner discovered he was unable to travel to Co Kilkenny today to see him.
Even with the top novice His Song and the trail-blazing Ferbert Junior running it should leave the way open for the 1996 Gold Cup hero.
Imperial Call looked a shadow of his former self last season despite a number of early successes and a third in the King George. However, at the Punchestown Festival he was a revelation, jumping brilliantly to put 14 lengths between himself and Florida Pearl with a distance back to other top opponents.
It was a hark back to the spring of 1996 and a tribute to west Cork trainer Raymond Hurley. It also gave every credibility to Imperial Call's 168 rating, a mark that gives him the easy winning of this afternoon's contest.
Reunited with Imperial Call, Conor O'Dwyer should enjoy a memorable day as he also looks to have the goods to take the preceding juvenile hurdle with the J P McManus-owned High Stakes.
The Christy Roche-trained gelding did well to score at Fairyhouse last time out as he was hampered at the third last but still ran on to beat King's Ego by two and a half lengths.
Ranged against him here are Eagle Legal and Second Nature who shouldn't be far apart considering a last flight mistake at Cork by the former allowed the latter win by a neck last month.
Adrian Maguire takes the ride on His Song in the big race but is an interesting booking in the maiden hurdle where he teams up with his old boss Hourigan for the ride on Scarvagh.
The half brother to Dorans Pride hasn't run since January 1998 but his performances then suggested he was capable of living up to his reputation. Second to Sarsfield The Man and Cliffs Of Dooneen on his last two starts are very reasonable form and if near full fitness today he could be the value to win. In that light, Maguire's booking could be significant.
Man Of Leisure, runner-up to Jack Duggan at Listowel, will be hard to beat in the bumper given normal improvement and in the last Dromineer should be capable of playing a part.
The Caerleon colt Stonehenge represents the all-powerful Ballydoyle camp in the opener and is hard to oppose as a result while Dolydille is selected to defy a 5 lb. penalty in the flat handicap.
