Images of a flooded Leopardstown on Tuesday morning suggested we were more likely to see Noah's Ark than the Arkle Novice Chase this weekend.
Come Tuesday evening, Moses-like work from the ground staff parted the waters.
However, the heavens remain open and while there are plenty of hours of hard toil to come should the Dublin Racing Festival commence on Saturday, hope springs eternal.
Gordon Elliott, as usual, has jumped out and gone a good gallop in the trainers’ championship.
On a couple of occasions he has almost clung on, the last few years have seen him easily reeled in. Murmurs that this could be the year have started to rumble once more after a strong summer carried into a fantastic winter.
While Willie Mullins (below) lies well within striking distance, by his stratospheric standards, his horses have not been on fire - some hitting, some missing.
On that front, a corner seems to have been turned with his strike going from around 21% in December to a more usual 31% in the past few weeks.
With such talent at his disposal, if they up gear at this time he could dominate the festival just as he did last year, winning six of the eight Grade Ones on offer, or when having all the jam in ’24, winning the eight of them. Mullins would be back hard on the bridle in the championship.
The champion trainer saddles a whopping eight in the Gold Cup, the headline act Galopin Des Champs bidding to win his fourth renewal, a feat that would match Mullins’ first superstar, Florida Pearl.
This is possibly Ireland’s greatest chaser since the Arkle and Flyingbolt days. Even with those legends, a 60-year gap makes comparison impossible.
Over Christmas, Galopin suffered his first defeat after seven successes over the Leopardstown fences, finishing third behind the reopposing Affordale Fury and I Am Maximus.
That was without his usual prep run when the yard was off peak so there is plenty reason to believe he can come out on top this time.
It would have been a straightforward pick of the eight for Paul Townend, even with loyalty to the horse aside.
Come Saturday evening it may not have turned out the right one. Gaelic Warrior, a former runaway two-miler, has shown he can stay the full three miles, having settled from his younger and wilder youth.
Fact To File (above) looked something special in last year’s Ryanair Chase but has to bounce back from a lacklustre show in the King George.
Grand National hero I Am Maximus won’t be far away with extreme conditions playing to his unquestionable stamina. The mare Spindleberry keeps improving, and would be the first of her sex to win the race in its 40th running.
Outside the Closutton string, Noel Meade’s Affordale Fury bids to back up a career best when winning the Savills Chase over course and distance.
Gavin Cromwell’s was another yard not running at full throttle but it has kicked in to life these past few weeks.
His Gold Cup Hero, Inothewayurthinkin, will need to do similarly after being well beaten on both starts this campaign.
Elliott has outsiders - not no hopers - Stellar Story and Firefox in the feature.
Much more likely to have big success in the Arkle though is Romeo Coolio, who has been sublime since going over fences, and a big prospect at senior chasing next term, a division where Cullentra House has been lacking for a couple of seasons.
Despite only two opponents, Kargese will give him plenty to do. A similarly-rated hurdler, she jumps very well and receives a 7lb mares allowance. This has not been won by a filly either, after 60 runnings!
Last year the Nathaniel Lacy Solocitors Novice Hurdle saw Final Demand show just how good he could be when putting 12 lengths between himself and the field.
We can see more of him and his potential on Sunday. Nothing in the line-up has yet suggested that level of ability; we haven’t seen the best of Doctor Steinberg or Santo Sospir so it could happen yet.
This time of year is when we see the best juvenile hurdlers come to the fore.
As has been the case for some time now, French imports have dominated, most likely due to their entering training and developing at a younger age than is traditional here, a tradition Horse Racing Ireland is making efforts to change.
Narcisco Has put in the best performance in this category here at Christmas.
He was however beaten on his Irish debut at Fairyhouse by filly Mange Tout. She bids to show that was no fluke on what could be a big day for the girls.
Watch the Dublin Racing Festival on Saturday and Sunday from 1pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player
