High Hopes For Beef

Michael Hourigan hopes Beef Or Salmon's love for Leopardstown can see him land his third straight Lexus Chase win ? and fourth overall ? when he contests the December 28 feature.

And while Hourigan has been pleased with the way preparations have gone since his charge scored over timber earlier in the month, the County Limerick handler holds a great deal of respect for the opposition.

'He came out of his last race pretty well and we're just waiting to run in the Lexus now,' he said.

'It looks tough indeed. We've got the English horse (The Listener) coming over and he'll be no pushover and then there's War Of Attrition so it is a good race but there's no easy races out there.'

When asked what it is about Leopardstown that sees Beef Or Salmon in such a positive light, Hourigan added: 'I don't really know, but the Lexus is run there and he's won it the past couple of years.

'Obviously he does like Leopardstown and I just hope he'll like it this year.

'I think he's as good this year as ever he was and perhaps a little bit better,' he told At The Races.

(C) PA Sport