Michael Hourigan confirmed this morning that his stable star Dorans Pride will take on Looks Like Trouble and Florida Pearl in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.
The versatile 11-year-old switched his attentions to the Flat at Leopardstown on Sunday where he showed too much pace and determination for his younger rivals to win the EBF Leopardstown November Handicap.
Hourigan said: 'You wouldn`t think he has had a race at all, we have just turned him out in the field, he has galloped away and he is bucking and kicking.
'I got as big a thrill seeing him win yesterday as I did when he won at Cheltenham, but I wasn`t surprised that he had won, he had been working so well at home.'
And when asked if he would now take on the big chasing guns at Down Royal, the reply was swift. He went on: 'There is no doubt at the moment that he will be going there.
'My son Paul will ride him, he has won on him twice before - he knows him very well- and then we will put him in all the good races. But we have no other definite plans at present, we will play it day by day.
'He has passed the winning post in front 30 times, he has won 28 proper races plus a point-to-point and a charity race. He is an unbelievable horse, he is very sound and they don`t come along like him very often.'
