Douvan© Photo Healy Racing
Connections of Douvan are confident he can live up to his star billing and maintain his unbeaten record over fences with victory in today's Doom Bar Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree.
Having destroyed his rivals in last month's Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, the Willie Mullins-trained six-year-old will bid to join the likes of Sprinter Sacre and Flagship Uberalles in winning on Merseyside to chalk up his fourth Grade One victory over the larger obstacles.
Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: "He does everything so easily at home and on the track. We are just hoping that nothing out of the ordinary goes wrong and that he can, fingers crossed, back up his win at Cheltenham."
Mullins jnr continued: "He has come out of that fine and didn't have a particularly hard race. We have been very lucky to have such exciting horses, but he is the one I suppose that has a certain allure which will stay with him until he is beaten for us, I imagine.
"He is long odds-on so hopefully he can run like an odds-on shot should."
Nigel Twiston-Davies feels the drop back in trip may count against Ballybolley
Although taking time to find his feet over fences the seven-year-old, winner of the Grade Two bumper at the meeting back in 2014, ran out a clear-cut winner of a handicap over the best part of two and a half miles at Haydock on his latest start.
Twiston-Davies said: "It is a very hot race and obviously Douvan is a hell of a thing to take on, but there is good prize-money on offer.
"He is a bit more of a stayer so coming back in trip is not ideal, but we thought we might as well go for it. I expect we will try to make all. I am very happy with him and he goes there in good form."
While Alisier D'Irlande is the least experienced of the quintet over fences, trainer Henry de Bromhead does not anticipate that being a problem for the last-time Leopardstown winner.
He said: "Our lad is in good form and has done nothing wrong so far. He jumped well around Leopardstown on his last run and I don't think his inexperience will be a problem.
"This race has pretty much been the plan since his last run and I'd hope he would be better on the better ground.
"Douvan has been impressive so far but we have just got to take our chance and see how we get on."
The five-runner field is completed by Arkle third Fox Norton from the yard of Neil Mulholland and the Gordon Elliott-trained The Game Changer
