'He looks a million dollars' - who can join Allaho and other stars on the Clonmel Oil Chase honours board?

The honours board for the Clonmel Oil Chase is a who's who of Irish racing royalty. The names roll off the tongue: from Cheltenham Gold Cup winners Imperial Call and War Of Attrition, to four-time winner of the race Doran's Pride, Champion Chase hero Sizing Europe and the likes of Champagne Fever, Kemboy, Douvan and Allaho, who have all won it for Willie Mullins in recent years. 

Fakir D'Oudairies already has his name on that illustrious list. He won it three years ago by 15 lengths, a performance that earned him a Racing Post Rating of 168. That remains his highest RPR in Ireland, and just 2lb shy of his career-best efforts when getting an identical RPR of 170 for his back-to-back Marsh Chase wins at Aintree's Grand National meeting. 

The worry with Fakir D'Oudairies is the fact he hasn't won for almost two years and all his best form is with give in the ground. 

Nothing went right for him on his reappearance in the Kerry National where he made uncharacteristic mistakes and never got into the race. He's better than that and the fact he receives 5lb from Saint Sam adds to his claims. 

Saint Sam is the tearaway seeking win number 11. Seven of those wins have come on either soft or heavy ground, but he did win by a long way at Cork in a conditions hurdle during the summer on officially good to yielding ground. He could be very hard to peg back if getting loose on the lead. 

It is worth pointing out he is the sole Closutton entry for a stable which has won this eight times. Saint Sam is race-fit and could take a few of these out of their comfort zone, especially those on the comeback trail. 

Fil Dor hasn't been seen since pulling up at the Punchestown festival in April, but his first-time-out form figures read 122, so an absence of 191 days might not be as much of a hindrance as many might expect. 

Solness is fit and flying. He's won his last two and is now rated 154 over fences, which puts him right in the mix. The concern with him is whether he is quite good enough to win a race of this nature. 

Tom Gibney's superb handling of Intense Raffles, who won last season's Irish Grand National, has been rewarded by owners Simor Munir and Isaac Souede, who have transferred Bronn to his stable from Mullins. 

Going update

Selective watering has been taking place and conditions are described as good, good to yielding in places. There is the possibility of occasional light rain.

What they say 

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Fakir D'Oudairies and Solness
Fakir D'Oudairies seems to be in good shape and any rain will help him. He won the race a few years ago and he arrives here on the back of the Kerry National, which was his first run off the back of a lay-off. Solness is fit and well. In contrast to Fakir, the better the ground the better chance he has.

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Fil Dor
He's a very talented horse on his day and you just have to look back to his run behind El Fabiolo at Cork last year to see what he's capable of. He's actually come back in this season looking a million dollars and we felt this was a nice place for him to start back.

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