Norther Bay looks set for compensation

TRAINER, Eoin Griffin, has seen little go his way over many months, but there are signs of an upswing in fortunes and his Norther Bay can keep the current modest momentum going in the Mallow Town Summer BBQ Race Evening Beginners Chase at Cork tonight.

Truth to tell the seven-year-old is not for the overly faint-hearted, on the basis that he often doesn’t find a whole lot at the end of his races.

But he will love the track and ground, the opposition is ordinary and will arrive on the back of a decent effort at Limerick just 11 days ago.

Griffin’s charge looked all over a winner going down to the final fence, in what looked a better contest than this.

He jumped the obstacle beautifully, but pecked badly on landing and was eventually beaten a very unlucky length and a quarter by Beau Michael. Hopefully, compensation now awaits.

Philip Fenton’s Ball Of Blue gets the vote to land the competitive Cork Racecourse Mallow Handicap Hurdle.

He was also in action at that Limerick meeting, taking a much lower grade handicap than this by five and a half lengths.

The performance wasn’t lost on the handicapper and the selection went up by 12lbs. But since he got his original mark on unsuitably testing conditions through the winter, Ball Of Blue could still have an edge!

The Bumper may be best left to Dessie Hughes’ Dateokepe, who caught the eye on his debut when a remote third to Cadspeed over flights at Gowran Park last month.

Catherineofaragon, runner-up behind stable companion, So Stylish, at Navan, cannot be opposed in the opening maiden at Dundalk tonight.

Andrew Oliver’s Elusive Award can prove a more lucrative wager in the [e-mail] Race.

He has yet to catch fire in two outings this campaign, but remains a promising sort and showed his liking for the polytrack last season.