And he is now 7-1 second favourite with Coral for the Gold Cup, having been 33-1 before his Leopardstown victory.

But first he will run in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup over the same three miles in February.

“His next run will be the Hennessy here in Ireland and then he’ll go straight for the Gold Cup, it’s been the plan all year with the horse, provided if he turned out to be what I thought he was, which I think he is,” Hourigan told attheraces.

“If the horse is all right after the Hennessy, the decision is made, he’ll go for the Gold Cup.”

Hourigan has no doubts that Beef Or Salmon will handle Cheltenham fences even though he has only had three races over fences so far.

“I wouldn’t be worried about the Cheltenham fences they’re very inviting and I think he’ll jump them much better than the ones he’s been jumping here at home even.”

And the Co Limerick trainer believes that Beef Or Salmon could be better than his former stable star Doran's Pride.

“He’s a different class of horse to Doran's Pride. Doran's Pride was a good, tough horse but his jumping let him down a little on and off.

“This horse has the same gears as Doran's Pride but he jumps much better.”

Doran's Pride ran in four consecutive Gold Cups from 1997 to 2000, finishing third in his first two attempts.