Drive On Regardles

IT has been a frustrating campaign for Drive On Regardles, but Willie Mullins' charge is fancied to finally deliver in the Great Oak Maiden Hurdle at Gowran Park this afternoon.

The dual bumper winner arrives on the back of probably his best effort so far over flights and this looks a very suitable opportunity for the six-year-old.

At Leopardstown nineteen days ago, Drive On Regardles was beaten a length into second by Shirley Casper with well-backed favourite, Time Electric, a further half a length behind in third.

Shirley Casper has since been well beaten, but it's not over overly worrying, because that talented mare is an enigmatic sort anyway and has never been one to trust implicitly.

It will be most interesting to see how Mullins' cracking mare J’y Vole fares on her belated seasonal debut in the Shamrock Handicap Chase.

She is passed over on this occasion, with preference for Conna Castle, who has found three miles further than he cared to travel in the Racing Post Chase at Kempton and the Thyestes at Gowran Park.

Robert Tyner’s Spring The Que gets a hopeful nod in the Thomastown Beginners Chase. Runner-up over fences behind Killenaule Boy at Limerick, he followed with a creditable effort over flights behind Realt Dubh at Punchestown.

At Dundalk tonight, Dermot Weld’s Signal Fire can provide the answer to the Dundalk Democrat Maiden.

He was strongly fancied at Tipperary back in October, but caught a real tartar in the shape of Aidan O’Brien's Freemantle, going under by ten lengths.

It seems highly unlikely Signal Fire will now run into anything approaching the calibre of that colt.