Tom Ryan is convinced the weight scale is the biggest impediment to his chances of a third straight win in the Australian Hurdle at Sandown.

The Irish jockey will ride the Eric Musgrove-trained Thubiaan in Saturday's jumps feature after claiming the previous two editions of the Australian Hurdle on Kirribilli Gold and Westsouthwest for the Robert Smerdon stable.

Thubiaan will carry the 64kg limit weight in the $100,000 contest after scoring his maiden hurdle success last time out at Sandown.

But Ryan fears a 5kg advantage over topweight Gotta Take Care might not be enough.

Gotta Take Care has won seven jumps races while his placing in last year's Group Two Moonee Valley Cup on the flat convinced Ryan the Galleywood Hurdle winner gets in well at the weights with 69kg.

Ryan believes the handicaps give Gotta Take Care an advantage over the Patrick Payne-trained Fieldmaster which is an odds-on favourite in early Australian Hurdle betting courtesy of his 20-length win at his last outing.

"I know Fieldmaster is two from two over jumps and beat a pretty good field last time but he's still relatively inexperienced," Ryan said.

"I think Gotta Take Care is thrown in at the weights.

"He's a very, very good horse and he could be the one we all have to beat."

While conceding Fieldmaster and Gotta Take Care deserved their places at the top of Australian Hurdle betting, Ryan said Thubiaan always impressed him as a jumper.

Ryan schooled the US-bred stayer for his former trainer Chris Waller and was keen to secure the ride once injury forced Thubiaan's previous jockey Martin Kelly to forego the mount.

"I was trying to get on him for the past week because I've liked the horse for some time," Ryan said.

"Touch wood, he's very good jumping-wise and he's quick and sharp for a big horse."

Ryan will also ride Berlioz for former top jumps jockey Bill Williams in the Australian Steeplechase.

Berlioz missed a place at his first jumps start of the season in heavy ground at Warrnambool but Ryan said firmer footing could help the eight-year-old return to the form that netted him the South Australian Grand National Steeplechase in 2012.