Rely on Riposte

CLEAR RIPOSTE, who has hit the bar in her last two races, can make it third time lucky in the Festival 18th and 19th July Hurdle at Tipperary tonight.

There are only six races, after the chase track, which was set to facilitate two contests, was found to be unraceable yesterday morning.

Anyway, there are solid reasons for thinking Clear Riposte capable of doing the business in this 20-runner affair.

There are no doubts about the seven-year-old on the surface, unlike top-rated Cuan Na Grai, and she has plenty going for her.

Narrowly beaten by stable companion, Snowy Morning, over flights at Limerick, the selection was then given too much to do when going down by a short head to Just Like Ivy on the flat at Wexford.

Robert Tyner’s progressive ex-winning pointer, Our Musician, is the one to beat in the Visit Tipperary Bumper.

He got off the mark at the first time of asking with a smooth performance at Cork and was in smart company at the Curragh subsequently when a short head second to Fionnegas.

Feature event at Leopardstown is the Listed Nijinsky Stakes, a contest in which Dermot Weld’s Famous Name is likely to go off favourite. He is down a couple of grades, having proved no match for high-class stable companion, Casual Conquest, in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh. The Dansili colt is capable of the odd delicate effort, however, and Jim Bolger’s Shreyas should at least give him a race. Rapidly going forward, there was plenty to like about the way she dismissed Quinmaster here earlier in the month.