Dice can roll in punters’ favour
Certainly, he will travel south with high hopes and is fancied to ride a three-timer, two for Tom Taaffe and one for Dermot Weld.
Taaffe’s Tumbling Dice gets the nap to make a successful debut over fences in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Novice Chase.
Geraghty’s mount went from strength to strength over flights last season and may well have a big future at this game.
The six-year-old rounded off a lucrative campaign with creditable third placings at Cheltenham and Aintree and can make the most of the 7lbs he receives from previous winners, Dix Villez and Laragh House.
Geraghty and Taaffe can also combine to take the Mitchelstown Cheese Maiden Hurdle with the promising, once-raced Finger Onthe Pulse.
He will carry the Kicking King colours of Conor Clarkson and looked a possible star in the making when beating subsequent winners, Kinger Rocks and Nicanor, in a bumper at Leopardstown back in January.
Geraghty’s third possibility is Weld’s Kinger Rocks in the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Novice Hurdle.
Her latest two efforts have been moderate enough performances on the level, but Kinger Rocks did look a smart recruit to jumping when scoring at the Galway Festival.
Ballyagran is a very interesting opponent.
He won a bumper impressively at Gowran Park, race has worked out really well, and was last seen when two and a half lengths second behind Silent Oscar, he’s won in the meatime, in a 25-runner affair at the Punchestown Festival in April.
Noel Meade trains Ballyagran and whatever his fate, the Co Meath handler can saddle Rocket Ship to land the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Novice Hurdle.
He hasn’t been seen since Leopardstown at Christmas when getting completely bogged down in the testing conditions behind Royal Paradise.
Previously, however, he showed himself to be a high class horse when a somewhat unlucky three lengths second to stable companion Wild Passion in the Grade One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse.
O’Muircheartaigh, who came from way off the pace when four lengths runner-up behind the smart Clew Bay Cove at Leopardstown in February, can win the Bmper.
If Cork tomorrow promises superb entertainment then the same cannot be said of today’s card, which is best described as grim.
Dame Hester, third to Mrs Snaffles and Race For The Stars at the Curragh in August, is no more than a token nap choice in the Enda McCormack Memorial EBF Median Auction Race.
Osterhase, taking a major drop in class from the Group One Prix de L’Abbaye at Longchamp last time, well drawn and suited by the minimum trip, gets the nod in the Listed Abergwaun Stakes.
