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Jonjo O'Neill is confident Johns Spirit is "in his prime" ahead of his bid for back-to-back victories in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday.
Cyfor Malta became the last dual winner of the prestigious handicap in 2002, four years after his previous triumph, while Fortria and Gay Trip both did the double back in the 1960s.
Half Free and Bradbury Star are the only horses to have secured consecutive successes, with the former striking gold in 1984-85 and Bradbury Star emerging victorious in 1993-94.
Johns Spirit's victory 12 months ago came as no great surprise, having won at the track at the previous month's Showcase meeting, and he has followed the same route this time, making a winning reappearance in the same race.
He is joint-top weight this season, over a stone higher in the weights than a year ago, but his trainer believes he can continue to defy the handicapper.
O'Neill said: "It's a tricky task in the Paddy Power and I was surprised how well he won at Cheltenham last time. He's gone up a lot in the weights and it was either a weak race or he was very impressive. But he's a fair horse who is improving and in his prime.
"Later on, I do think he could be a Ryanair horse and that's what he is, but he's got to prove it on Saturday."
Richie McLernon has ridden Johns Spirit in 16 of his 23 career starts and has clearly built up a good relationship with the talented chaser.
McLernon said: "Johns Spirit is better for knowing. He is best left alone in the early part of a race - that's his style of racing - and I'm certainly not planning on making the running. We just get on well together. It's a two-way thing."
O'Neill has an interesting second string to his bow in Eastlake, and said: "He has only won over two miles but is in good form. He has had his problems, but everything seems good at the moment. He will like the ground."
Heading the weights with Johns Spirit is the Nicky Henderson-trained Oscar Whisky. The dual Aintree Hurdle winner won twice at Cheltenham as a novice over fences last term, but owner Dai Walters is under no illusions about the task facing his representative with 11st 12lb.
Walters said: "He's in good form and after he worked well earlier in the week, we decided to let him take his chance. He's got a lot of weight to carry, which won't be easy. He's stepped up a lot in the last fortnight and he likes Cheltenham, so we'll hope for the best."
Champion Court has won three times at Cheltenham, but has something to prove after a disappointing end to last season and a similarly low-key reappearance behind Johns Spirit.
Trainer Martin Keighley said: "We may try different tactics with him and drop him in a bit, instead of doing all the donkey work out in front. The handicapper has been slowly dropping him."
Kapga De Cerisy is an interesting contender for Venetia Williams, making his first appearance since a runaway victory at Sandown last November.
Williams said: "Unfortunately he did himself an injury, which is why he's only coming back now. It's a big ask, first time out in a big race like that. We're not going expecting, we go hoping."
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls relies upon Caid Du Berlais, last seen finishing seventh in the Galway Plate.
Nicholls said: "He's run well at Cheltenham in the Fred Winter and in the boys' race (Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys' Handicap Hurdle) last year, so it's a track he likes. In the Galway Plate, he travelled extremely well that day and I think you need a three-miler to win that race and he didn't get home."
