Beef or Salmon still on the menu for John Durkan Memorial Chase

Beef or Salmon is 'A1' according to his trainer Michael Hourigan after a piece of work on Tuesday morning and remains in the entries post forfeit stage for Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial at Punchestown on Sunday next. A piece of work on Friday morning will determine whether he will run in the ?90,000 contest where he is likely to be opposed by Kicking King and Harbour Pilot.

Currently priced 5/4 (with a run) by Cashman's Bookmakers, Beef or Salmon will be bidding to win the John Durkan Memorial Chase for the 2nd time having beaten Tiutchev in last year's contest. Tom Taaffe has confirmed that Kicking King, currently priced 11/10 with the same bookmaker, will run in two and a half mile race. Taaffe stated 'he is in great form and I am expecting a big run from him on Sunday'. Kicking King, who has had two outings this season, was only narrowly beaten by Beef or Salmon in Down Royal recently and will be hoping to reverse the placings this time. Harbour Pilot, placed third in the 2003 and 2004 Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup's will have improved significantly from his run in Down Royal run behind the aforementioned and this classy performer will make the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase a very exciting contest.

Arthur Moore is hoping to run Native Upmanship who was successful in 2000 when beating Florida Pearl. Rathgar Beau, a regular runner up to Moscow Flyer, will be best suited by the two and a half mile distance of the John Durkan Memorial Chase and should definitely finish in the frame. Nil Desperandum, on the back of a very disappointing run in the last weekend's Hennessey Gold Cup has also been left in the race.

The supporting races on the card have attracted very strong entries with Geill Sli, a Punchestown Paddy Power Champion Bumper winner and Martinstown, favourite for the 2004 Weatherby's Champion Bumper, both entered in the Benson Burger Express Maiden Hurdle. Dessie Hughes' Liscannor Lad and Arthur Moore's Eskimo Jack are two more very talented individuals who hold entries in the Weatherby's Ireland Handicap Chase.

Commenting on the strength of the entries for Sunday's card, Dick O Sullivan, general manager of Punchestown, said 'Nine times out of ten, you will always get a strong field for a valuable Grade 1 race and it is great to see that the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase lives up to that. Beef or Salmon, Kicking King and Harbour Pilot are Ireland's three best staying chasers and it will be great if they can all oppose each other on Sunday. Put the feature race aside and we also have a very strong card with the likes of Martinstown, Geill Sli and Liscannor Lad all entered in the supporting races.'