Solwhit looks just Champion
At the back-end of last season, Charles Byrnes’ six-year-old showed what a good horse he is when taking a Grade 1 at Aintree, as a prelude to beating Punjabi in another Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival. He has continued on an upward curve and this slick jumper goes from strength to strength.
Solwhit made a winning reappearance at Punchestown and was then the victim of a slow pace when only third to Go Native at Newcastle.
The selection, however, was back on track at Leopardstown at Christmas, quickening nicely up the straight to beat Sublimity a comfortable two lengths.
Celestial Halo was second to Punjabi in last season’s Champion Hurdle and looked to have gone the right way when making a stunning seasonal debut at Wincanton.
But he was then completely outgunned from the last flight by the 4lbs receiving Khyber Kim at Cheltenham and that was a disappointing effort.
Sports Line gets the nod in the Grade 1 Frank Ward Solicitors’ Novice Chase. He jumped quite beautifully when scoring at the first time of asking over fences at Navan and may have too much class for Take The Breeze.
Quel Esprit is hard to oppose in the Synergey Security Solutions Novice Hurdle. He was no more than workmanlike when scoring at Punchestown on his debut over jumps, but then looked a horse of immense potential at Cork subsequently.
The Leopardstown November Handicap winner, Rite Of Passage, is the medium of good reports and can get off to the perfect start over flights in the Frank Conroy Memorial Maiden Hurdle.
At Leopardstown today Jessica Harrington’s Roberto Goldback gets the nap in the Grade 2 MCR Novice Chase.
A tough resolute sort, he will relish this two miles and five in testing conditions. Roberto Goldback was always travelling well within himself when beating Cousin Vinny and Jagoes Mills, successful since, at Navan last month.
Dessie Hughes’ Rick can win the www.leopardstown.com Maiden Hurdle. He’s certainly no star, but is consistent and this is not a hard assignment.
Rick produced arguably his best performance to date on this track at Christmas when a creditable third behind Western Leader and Acapulco.
Feature event is the valuable 30-runner MCR Handicap Hurdle, which holds no attraction whatsoever punting-wise. Perhaps, Native Clan, fresh from winning over fences at Limerick, will give us a thrill.
Jayo, who ran a cracker behind Poquelin at Cheltenham in December, should find the opposition more to his liking in the Leopardstown Handicap Chase.
