The road to Cheltenham starts here
Navan on Sunday, in particular, is set to play host to some very big names, headed by Moscow Flyer and backed up by the likes of Hardy Eustace and Solerina.
Whether we like it or not the build-up to Cheltenham begins now. For top class horses and Group One trainers little else matters.
Moscow Flyer will face a relatively simple task in the Grade Two Ballymore Homes Fortria Chase.
Jessia Harrington’s charge is currently rated a massive 170 and the closest to him on ratings for the Navan test is Knife Edge (148).
The nine-year-old was quite brilliant when taking the two mile Champion ’Chase at Cheltenham in March, but rounded off his campaign under something of a cloud.
In the BMW ’Chase at the Punchestown Festival in April he was in front when ploughing into the second last, parting company with Barry Geraghty.
Solerina and Hardy Eustace going head-to-head in the Lismullen Hurdle, another Grade Two, promises a real treat. Hardy Eustace, with a successful outing on the level under his belt, looks sure to go off favourite.
He showed his true colours at Cheltenham when landing the SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle, having been beaten by Solerina at Leopardstown prior to that.
The pair met in the Deloitte and Touche Novice Hurdle, when Solerina made all the running to defeat her rival by two lengths.
They will meet on exactly the same terms on Sunday. Solerina, of course, subsequently met with a setback and had to miss Cheltenham.
For the Bowe family, especially Michael, who does all the work with Solerina, it is going to be a hugely important race.
Their stable star, the legendary Limestone Lad, is out for the season, so it will be left to the six-year-old mare to largely fly the flag for them.
Noel Meade seems determined to give Zum See his second outing over flights in the For Auction Novice Hurdle. He looked a skinny price, evens in a massive field, to make a winning debut over jumps at Naas on Saturday. Despite a less than flawless technique, Zum See won in an absolute canter and could be anything!
Feature event at Cork on Sunday is the three and a half mile City Life Grand National Handicap ’Chase.
There’s a strong entry of 30 and two of the more interesting ones are Brownie Returns and Take Five.
This will be Brownie Returns’ first appearance since he "won” that highly controversial and farcical Munster National at Limerick last month.
He went up 21lbs for that, with the handicapper coming in for a lot of criticism in the press. Take Five, who landed decent bets when coming back from a long break to score at Naas on Saturday, has been raised 9lbs for beating Super Fellow by a length and a half.
Also at Cork, Eamonn Sheehy’s Satco Express has been given his first entry over fences, in the Irish Stallion Farms’ Beginners Chase. At one stage last week, he was being touted as a possible for a long distance hurdle at Wetherby on Saturday, but declined the engagement. Satco Express developed into a fine staying novice over hurdles last season and certainly appears to have a bright future at this game.
Saturday’s James Nicholson Wine Merchant ’Champion ’Chase at Down Royal is guaranteed a small field.
There were only eight entries anyway and Truckers Tavern and Harbour Pilot, second and third respectively to Best Mate in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and Beef Or Salmon seem increasingly unlikely to meet the engagement.
Mind you there is little doubt Ferdy Murphy is simply bursting to run Truckers Tavern, but surely won’t risk it unless the rain comes. You suspect Tony Mullins will be tempted to allow Barrow Drive take his chance.
Following his remote, but promising, third at Wetherby on Saturday, Mullins nominated the Hennessy at Newbury as the next port-of-call.
I know if I had him where he’d go!
