Blessed are those charged with taking on Willie Mullins - theirs is a kingdom of hope

On an occasion that should be all about worshipping the sheer calibre of equine talent that will grace a €1 million Leopardstown spread hosting one of the single most exciting horses in training, only the wilfully blind would deny such a utopian narrative isn’t being hijacked by an increasingly pervasive theme.

Galopin Des Champs is a precocious young steeplechaser with intergalactic potential and should light up the 2023 Irish Gold Cup with another of his trademark fluent performances.

However, at odds of around 1-3 he is poised to return the shortest-priced runner to face the starter in the 36-year history of the race.