Clondaw Warrior© Photo Healy Racing
Clondaw Warrior, heads a strong Irish challenge on The Ladbroke at Ascot on Saturday.
The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old won Leopardstown's November Handicap on the level on his penultimate start before finishing third in the Greatwood Hurdle.
Mullins said: "He ran a cracker in the Greatwood. We learned a lot about him that day at Cheltenham with respect to how to ride him.
"I think he's improved since and I think he should have a good each-way chance. It's not been my luckiest race to date, if I'm honest, but I think he should be involved at the end."
Bayan has been a fantastic servant to his connections over the last couple of years, performing consistently well in major handicaps both on the Flat and over jumps.
The five-year-old is back over obstacles for the first time since filling the runner-up spot in the Galway Hurdle in the summer and At The Races presenter Gary O'Brien, part of the Core Syndicate that owns Bayan, is hopeful of another bold show.
He said: "The ground is probably going to be softer than ideal, but on the other hand, it should bring his stamina into play.
"We're slightly concerned about how he'll handle the journey over as we expected it to be pretty rough. He's such a consistent horse that if he handles that well, then he should run his race.
"There a probably a couple better handicapped than him that have yet to show their hand but he's got to have an each-way chance."
Tony Martin is no stranger to major handicap success and runs the lightly raced Pyromaniac, who was a creditable third in a Grade Two novice race at Cheltenham last month.
"We're happy with him and hopefully he's improving all the time. He's only had a handful of races, so hopefully he'll get a bit more experience on Saturday and fingers crossed he'll run well," said Martin.
"He ran well in Cheltenham the last day in soft ground and he bends his knee, so hopefully the ground won't bother him."
The fourth and final Irish challenger is Arthur Moore's Sea Beat, who runs from 4lb out of the handicap and sits at the foot of the weights.
