Conditions are sure to be gruelling at Punchestown tomorrow for the 100,000 Grade One John Durkan Memorial Chase, and while that will be perfect for The Listener, there is one chink in the British raider's armour that may leave the race open for the 2005 Durkan winner Hi Cloy.
There would be little argument with general ante-post odds of 6 to 4 about The Listener providing his trainer Robert Alner with a timely morale-booster if tomorrow's race was over three miles.
In fact, the evidence from last season's Lexus Chase, and indeed a narrow defeat by Beef Or Salmon in the Hennessy, is that this teak-tough grey can operate in muck like few others. Certainly he didn't look the same horse on better ground in the Gold Cup. But happily for him the emphasis this weekend will very definitely be on toughness.
The Listener won't fail on that score since he appears to have all the resolution of his trainer who is fighting to get back to health after a recent car accident that has left him recovering in hospital from serious back injuries. But will two and a half miles be long enough to bring that stamina into play? His Wexford-born jockey Daryl Jacob argued this week that he wasn't worried on that score but the evidence suggests The Listener likes further, while the Durkan conditions could have been framed especially for Hi Cloy.
In contrast to his big rival, Michael Hourigan's star has shown in the past that three miles is beyond his optimum. But give him two and a half on heavy ground and he has a multiple Grade One-winning record to make him a danger to anything.
The 10-year-old can boast defeats of horses like Kicking King when he gets these conditions and there was plenty of encouragement in the way he returned to action over hurdles at Aintree last month when he was runner -up to Soffleur in a handicap.
"I had no race to run him in here because of the quick ground so I took him to Liverpool where he ran very well," Hourigan reported yesterday. "He's in good form. He needed to run when he did because he was boiling over on me but he has settled down now and I think he will run a big race."
Native Upmanship in 2000 and 2002 is the last to regain the Durkan crown and his trainer Arthur Moore relies on Mansony who landed the Kerrygold Champion Chase here over two miles in April's festival.
This is his first race since then and Moore conceded: "I think a fast -run two miles is ideal for him. I would like to have got a run into him before this, especially for a two and a half mile race, but we have to start somewhere."
Of the others, Forget The Past represents the team who won last year with In Compliance, while going right-handed will help the Powers Gold Cup winner, One Cool Cookie. The former National hero Hedgehunter is another who would thrive over a longer distance but crucially, Hi Cloy looks like he will be in his element.
"Dusty" Sheehy's record of three wins in the last four runnings of the Listed novice hurdle will make Quintana a threat to all tomorrow although it looks significant that Noel Meade pitches his dual-bumper winner Chateau d'Eau straight into conditions class.
Chateau d'Eau is clearly smart although he was taken out of Fairyhouse last weekend when ground conditions got very heavy. They'll hardly be much better here and Quintana's experience, especially when winning on soft ground at Listowel, may be crucial.
John Mulhern's good mare Pistol Flash takes on the guys in the opening maiden hurdle but this looks a good opportunity for Venalmar to win after running into two smart sorts in Decoy Daddy and Gem Daly.
Knocknabooly is an interesting contender for the Beginners Chase after a fine win over hurdles at Navan but Notre Pere found only one too good for him at Fairyhouse last weekend in a performance that bodes well for a race like this.
