Hard to oppose Harchibald
It was officially yielding, yielding to soft in places yesterday on the National Hunt track and if that is the case by race time, or even a little softer, then the multi-talented Harchibald can do the business.
No horse travels better on the bridle than Noel Meade’s six-year-old and he simply oozes class. Harchibald enjoyed a terrific campaign last season, ending with narrow defeats at Cheltenham and Punchestown.
In the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, Paul Carberry was criticised for waiting too long when Harchibald was outbattled by Hardy Eustace.
Then at Punchestown subsequently he was accused of arriving too early when they were again outfought, this time by Brave Inca.
His two big dangers tomorrow are Royal Paradise and Solerina, but neither will surely be good enough to worry Harchibald, given a reasonable surface.
If conditions were to turn testing then Royal Paradise, a smashing novice hurdler last season, would be the choice rather than Solerina.
Gortinard, beaten 20 lengths by One More Minute at Galway last time, gets the nap in the Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Novice ‘Chase.
The quick ground then was all against the selection and he is much better judged on two smoothly-gained successes at Tralee previously.
Five of the six possibilities for the Listed El Gran Senor Stakes are winners, making this a competitive little contest.
The vote goes to the progressive Chiado, impressive at Listowel when storming to a seven lengths win in a maiden.
The Curragh today offers little cause for optimism, producing some typical end-of-season puzzles, which have all the ingredients of developing into a layers’ benefit.
Cairdeas is a hopeful nap in the Cill Dara Securities Diamond Stakes, although having to concede weight all round is hardly a plus.
The credit side, however, is that the ground is set to ride on the easy side and the more it rains the more confident one would become.
Cairdeas has been rested since getting collared in the last hundred yards when three parts of a length second to Tropical Lady at headquarters early last month and should strip fresh and well for this test.
The handicapper says Ugo Fire should win the Group Three C L Weld Park Stakes, she has a minimum of 5lbs in hand of her rivals, and who are we to argue?
She showed substantial improvement, went up 16lbs for the effort, when a neck runner-up to Rumplestiltskin in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh last time. Earlier in the season, Ugo Fire proved that plenty cut in the ground holds no fears for her.
