Owner Rich Ricci has described ante-post Arkle Trophy favourite Douvan as ‘different gravy'.
Douvan won the Supreme Novices' Hurdle on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival last year and has made a seamless transition over fences.
He has already pocketed two Grade 1 chases at Leopardstown and Ricci is full of praise for the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old.
Ricci told Racing UK: “He's different gravy. He's so effortless and is the most friendly horse, which is very nice as well.
“He is so approachable, quiet and docile in his stall before the race, but he knows what he's doing, he's all business. He does it so effortlessly and he's a real pleasure to own.”
Douvan formed part of an opening day double for Ricci last year, with Faugheen winning the Champion Hurdle, and it could have been a treble but for Annie Power's fall at the last in the Mares' Hurdle.
Ricci will again have a host of leading hopes at the meeting and he is aiming for a positive start to the Festival.
“These next six weeks are the most nervous time of the year,” added Ricci. “You just want to get them here in one piece and don't care if they run again, it's just getting them here and in good form.
“I think if you can find a winner here, just one, and I know people say it takes the pressure off, but it just does and it's a real privilege to have a runner here in the Olympics of jump racing.
“We just take each year as it comes and hopefully put up a winner or two and enjoy that if it comes.
“We've got a lot of runners on the Tuesday, a few smattered on Wednesday and Thursday, and big ones in Friday. It's good in one way that you've got all the big guns going on the first day to get that out of the way and then enjoy the rest of the week hopefully.”
