Hurricane Fly tops the small but select field declared for Sunday's Grade One BHP Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.
The eight-year-old dominated the two-mile hurdling division last year by winning all five of his starts, including the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, but he sidestepped a number of planned engagements after failing to impress Willie Mullins in his work.
Sunday's race will be his first since his victory at Punchestown last May but Mullins has been enthusiastic in his reports of his gelding's wellbeing in recent days and he will be the firm favourite to follow up on his success of 2011.
Just five horses have been declared for the feature with Hurricane Fly joined in the field by his stable companion Thousand Stars.
Unaccompanied put her male counterparts in their place when she ran out an impressive winner of the Istabraq Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas but the mare will not have Paul Townend aboard this time.
Townend is needed by Mullins for the ride on Thousand Stars with Davy Russell coming in to partner Dermot Weld's classy mare.
Jessica Harrington will be hoping for better luck for Oscars Wells, who is without a win in his three races this season, while Sabrina Harty has decided to run Kalann in the showpiece.