National looks Northern bound
A prolific winner, the eight-year-old has every chance of enjoying his biggest success to date.
Northern Alliance hasn’t been seen since running a cracker in the Galway Hurdle at the end of July and has, you would think, been laid out for this in the meantime.
Two miles over flights is far too short for the selection, but it didn’t stop him running a cracker at Ballybrit to claim fourth spot behind Bahrain Storm.
Ponmeoath, who has won this for the last two years, has a mountain to climb with top weight and it should pay to look elsewhere for the winner.
English challenger, David Pipe’s Star Of Germany, is worth a second glance, having beaten a pair of useful yardsticks in Hoo La Baloo and Backstage over two miles, five and a half furlongs at Newton Abbot. There are doubts regarding his ability to stay three miles, however.
Galway Plate runner-up Knock On The Head and lightly-weighted Tasman are two others for the short-list.
The nap vote falls on Charlie Swan’s Glenstal Abbey in the Ballygarry House Hotel Novice Hurdle.
He was beaten half a length by Dual Gales at Galway and a length and a half by Berties Dream at Sligo.
Glenstal Abbey is 3lbs better in with Dual Gales and 6lbs with Berties Dream and is fancied to reverse placings with both.
Jessica Harrington’s The Bull Hayes looks the most reliable proposition in the Ladbrokes 1800777888 Conditions Race.
He has performed with a fair degree of consistency throughout the campaign, with his latest appearance yielding a half a length second to Alifa at Galway.
