Bank on Bizet
You could argue that two and a quarter miles is on the short side for him. But he did have enough speed to score at two miles over flights and Bizet travels so well through his races that it shouldn't be a problem.
The nine-year-old comes here on the back of two excellent recent efforts.
He beat Tell Me See and subsequent winners, What Odds and Christmas Crackle, over three miles and a furlong at Fairyhouse, prior to producing a career-best effort in the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park.
Indeed, you could make a case for saying that if he truly stayed three miles on that occasion he would have certainly won, instead of finishing third behind Numbersixvalverde and Kymandjen.
The selection was cantering all over his rivals early in the straight, before running out of puff from the final fence.
Frances Crowley's Brogella rates a safe wager to overcome a bout of seconditis in the opening Monagarriffe Mares Maiden Hurdle.
Like Bizet, she too turned in the best display of her life at Punchestown last month. In the end, she was no match for In Compliance, going down by seven lengths.
Time may well reveal that to be a smart performance!
Jim Dreaper's Christmas Crackle has a leading chance in the Martinstown Opportunity Handicap Chase.
He ran a smashing race to finish fifth behind What Odds and Tell Me See in the National Trial at Punchestown last time, when competing from 5lbs out of the handicap.
American Jennie, runner-up to Billy Bush at Thurles, gets a hopeful nod in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle.
