Beef Or Salmon will face seven rivals in the Grade One James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday. Ireland's leading hope of dethroning Best Mate at Cheltenham finished fifth in his seasonal opener under a big weight in the recent Munster National.
Beef or Salmon's rivals will include Colca Canyon, who landed that Limerick contest and Glenelly Gale.
Gold Cup third-placer Harbour Pilot and Kicking King are also in the entries.
Kicking King will be attemping three miles for the first time after scoring impressively in a Grade Two contest at Gowran Park last month.
Rathgar Beau Byron Lamb and Zurs complete the Down Royal field.
Beef Or Salmon, who finished fourth in the Gold Cup last season and is a best-priced 14-1 for this term's renewal, is reported to be in fine order by trainer Michael Hourigan.
"I'm looking forward to seeing him back out tomorrow," said Hourigan.
"His last race will have brought him on and I think the ground (soft) will be fine for him.
"The main dangers look to be Kicking King and Harbour Pilot - you would think Kicking King will get the three miles," he said.
Harbour Pilot is an old sparring partner of Beef Or Salmon, although he often comes off second best and has finished behind his rival three out of the five times they have met.
And Meade feels his nine-year-old may have to settle for a minor role once again on Saturday.
"I am sure Beef Or Salmon is the one they all have to beat, he looks to have more pace than most of them," Meade said.
Harbour Pilot will be having his first start of the autumn, having twice won at the top level and seven times in all.
"He is in good shape, has summered well and I have had no problems with him.
"He might just not be 100 per cent wound up but he is fit enough to be competitive," added Meade.
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The main dangers look to be Kicking King and Harbour Pilot 
