Willie Mullins expects Zaidpour to revel in the testing conditions at Leopardstown on Sunday when he tries to win the Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle for a second consecutive season.
The eight-year-old claimed the Grade One by four and a quarter lengths 12 months ago and will be joined in the line-up by stablemates Briar Hill and Glens Melody.
Zaidpour won at Navan upon his return to the track in November, but then suffered a fifth-flight fall a few weeks later in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
The County Carlow handler told www.wpmullins.com: "Zaidpour is our number one choice and has the advantage of having won this race last year.
"He will love the ground and we are expecting a very good run."
Jockey Ruby Walsh opted to ride Zaidpour, reasoning he may be a shade sharper than the other Mullins residents.
He told the Irish Examiner: "Willie runs Briar Hill, Zaidpour and Briar Hill in the Christmas Hurdle, and I went for the fit one.
"Briar Hill hasn't run since Cheltenham and Glens Melody since France, in May, so I chose Zaidpour.
"Maybe I'm wrong, as they're all in good form, but I won this on him last year and think he'll go well again in what looks a hot race."
Mullins said of his other Christmas Hurdle contenders: "Glens Melody is having her first outing of the season and we expect she will come on for the run.
"Briar Hill is also having his first run back after having cheekbone surgery following his fall at the Cheltenham Festival.
"It is hard to judge how forward he is on his work at home so we will just have to see how he gets on."
