Hermes Allen is all the rage to provide trainer Paul Nicholls with a fifth victory in the Grade One contest, having previously struck gold with Cornish Rebel (2003), Denman (2006), Bravemansgame (2020), and Stage Star (2021).
A £350,000 purchase from the Irish point-to-point field, Hermes Allen won by 27 lengths on his hurdling debut at Stratford before following up in a Grade Two at Cheltenham last month.
The Paul Nolan-trained Joyeux Machin, who chased home potential superstar Facile Vega last Christmas before going one better in a bumper at Navan in January, could only finish third on his hurdling debut at Wexford in October – but upped his game to open his account at Fairyhouse four weeks ago.
Nolan appreciates his charge faces a far stiffer task this weekend, but is hopeful the step up from two to an extended two and a half miles will bring about further improvement.
He said: "Hopefully they won't get as much rain as forecast – the less rain there is the better for us. We've committed to going now, so on we go and hopefully we can have a good run.
"He went to the line well in Fairyhouse. I think the way he went to the line over two means the step up in trip won't be an inconvenience anyway.
"He had a hold-up before Wexford and with the ground being a little bit good, we couldn't really get a gallop in on grass. We thought he'd improve from there to Fairyhouse and hopefully he has the potential to improve again – he'll have to."
Hermes Allen and Joyeux Machin are just two of 14 runners declared, with Dan Skelton's 17-length Hereford scorer Vicki Vale and Nicky Henderson's dual winner Attacca two other leading contenders.
Crambo puts his unbeaten record on the line for Fergal O'Brien, who also saddles the experienced Accidental Rebel as well as Marble Sands, while Thomas Mor is two from two for David Pipe.
Joyeux Machin is joined on the trip across the Irish Sea by Gordon Elliott's Kansas City Star, while the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Idalko Bihoue and You Wear It Well from Jamie Snowden's yard also merit consideration.
