Leave it to Luska

By Pat Keane

Monday, October 26, 2009

LUSKA LAD can make a successful debut over jumps in the Corrib Food Products Maiden Hurdle at Galway this afternoon.

Conditions are certain to be testing, but that won’t be a problem for John Hanlon’s five-year-old who is clearly well fancied, considering Ruby Walsh is booked to ride.

The selection was one of the better bumper horses in the country last season, scoring no less than four times and rounding off his campaign with a highly creditable third to Dunguib and Sweeps Hill at the Punchestown Festival.

John Kiely’s Liss Na Tintri, runner-up behind stable companion Candy Creek in a listed bumper for mares at Aintree at the Grand National meeting in April, rates the obvious danger.

Paul Nolan’s Alpha Ridge makes his eagerly waited debut over fences in the W B Gavin and Co EBF Beginners Chase.

This imposing sort was only marking time over flights, but while doing that managed to win on four occasions.

He loves heavy ground and a thorough test of stamina and both of those requirements are going to be met now.

Charlie Swan’s Last Draw, who took a bumper and a maiden hurdle at Punchestown in May, cannot be opposed in the Diamond Vision Novice Hurdle.

At Leopardstown today the Group 3 J.R.A Kilavullan Stakes is probably best left to Aidan O’Brien’s Air Chief Marshal.

He’s been mixing it with good company all year and again performed solidly when fifth behind Lucky General in a valuable sales race at the Curragh.

A place and three parts of a length in front of him then was Beethoven, who went on to record a shock victory in the Dewhurst at Newmarket.

Mind you the Ballydoyle riding arrangements are more than puzzling, with Seamus Heffernan scheduled to partner Air Chief Marshal and Johnny Murtagh down for Utrillo.

Air Chief Marshal is currently rated a whopping 15lbs superor to Utrillo, so we will have to wait and see what today brings!

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, October 26, 2009