Final Demand has a point to prove as he aims to return to form in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday.
The seven-year-old is trained by Willie Mullins for co-owners Bryan Drew and Caroline Tisdale, and began his chasing career in great style when winning by 13 lengths on debut at Navan in November.
He then won the Faugheen Novice Chase by eight lengths at Limerick after Christmas, but surprisingly fell short in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival when third.
"He's been looking very good, obviously it was very disappointing at Leopardstown but that just wasn't him," said Drew.
"A few things have been changed with him since, his work rider and his routine. He's had a lot more time outside in the fresh air.
"I was over there (Closutton) last Thursday and I watched him gallop. His coat looks good, his his work looks good and he jumped well.
"I'm hoping he'll be in his best form on Wednesday, rather than where he was at Leopardstown, but it does make it hard to be hopeful.
"Given the standard of the race, particularly the most recent edition, you're going to have to be red hot to win it and if he's back to where he was at Punchestown (when winning the Champion Novice Hurdle by 16 lengths) then he should win it. If he falls short at all then he won't, full stop."
Paul Townend will take the ride, as he did at Leopardstown, and added: "I suppose it's blown up into a competitive race, but I never got any of the feel of him (at Leopardstown) that I got last year or at Navan. If I hadn't ridden him at Navan I'd be very worried.
"There's enough time to turn it around and Gaelic Warrior is a good example. He's a decent work horse, but he's a stayer. He's not going to come up there like a Hurricane Fly or something, but he's a good work horse."
Final Demand's chief rival in the market is Gordon Elliott's Romeo Coolio, who is unbeaten in four starts over fences and already has three Grade One titles to his name.
The Cullentra trainer said: "I think he's won two Grade Ones over two miles because of his guts and his heart. He's been going as quick as he can three or four out, but he's just shown how good a horse he is.
"He's going there in good form and I definitely see him as Gold Cup horse for the future."
Elliott will also saddle Western Fold, who was second ahead of Final Demand and behind Kaid d'Authie when last seen at the Dublin Racing Festival.
"I was thrilled with Western Fold at the DRF and I think he could be a dark horse for the Brown Advisory," he added.
"He has so much experience for a novice and he stays so well. He's had 11 runs over fences which for a novice is mad.
"I think he's really crying out for three miles the more I think about it. His run at Down Royal behind Envoi Allen was a very good run."
Henry de Bromhead is represented by The Big Westerner and Kocktail Divin, both last time out winners.
He said of the former: "Hopefully she can go right to the top. She probably has a preference for softer ground that would be the only thing, but we could still get that in plenty of places and she ran really well at Cheltenham last year on better ground.
"She seems to have the class to go any trip. She's probably two and a half (miles) plus. She definitely stayed in the Albert Bartlett last year so I think three miles would be ideal for her."
He added of Koktail Divin: "I thought he ran a lovely race behind Oscars Brother where he looked like he didn't quite see it out on that heavy ground, but he looked electric on the nicer ground again at Leopardstown.
"You'd have to have a little question mark over (the trip) with him - he definitely got outstayed at Punchestown, but I was putting that down to the heavier ground. We've always felt that he's a horse that would prefer nicer ground."
