Classy Nicanor looks the proverbial certainty
The five-year-old is as good a young horse as there is in the country, but his career thus far has been blighted by silly errors.
He has made them in all three races over flights and it probably cost him victory last time in the Grade One Barry and Sandra Kelly Memorial Hurdle on this track. He was travelling like a winner when getting it wrong at the second last and in the end failed to reel in Travino, going down by a neck.
That effort puts him in a completely different league to his rivals now, with Meade running him over two miles for the first time in an effort to sharpen his technique.
Jazz Messenger can be fancied to do the business for Meade in the Skryne Maiden Hurdle, even if clearly well down the pecking order in a yard chockful of talent.
Formerly a useful sort on the level, Jazz Messenger made a promising enough debut over jumps when three and a half lengths second to the heavily-backed Parliament Square at Fairyhouse on Sunday last.
Michael Cunningham’s progressive Laureldean has a leading chance of completing a hat-trick in the Here Comes 2006 Handicap Chase.
Successful in a moderate maiden hurdle at Gowran Park, he followed by taking a handicap chase by ten lengths at Punchestown.
That was another ordinary contest, but the selection is still fancied to defy a 10lbs rise in the weights.
At Naas tomorrow, Meade again looks the the trainer to keep on your side. His Wild Passion is the choice in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Novice Chase. It is no surprise blinkers are fitted for the first time, because the selection did run around a fair bit at Leopardstown at Christmas.
That was in the Grade One Durkan New Homes Novice Chase. He was on and off the bridle and then handed the initiative back to eventual winner Missed That on the run in. This if a far easier assignment and, hopefully, the aids will have the desired effect.
Meade’s Snow Tern, brilliant winner of a bumper at Leopardstown to the tune of 20 lengths, can take the Annual Membership At Naas Maiden Hurdle.
He’s already shown he can jump, winning a point-to-point at Ballynoe in April by 15 lengths.
If Alexander Taipan is at his best then Willie Mullins’ charge can provide the solution to the Woodlands Park 100 Slaney Novice Hurdle.
He performed way below what was expected when a remote fourth to Iktitaf at Fairyhouse in early December. That came at a time when Mullins’ yard was out of form and Alexander Taipan is better judged on his 11 lengths slamming of Firth Of Forth, value for a lot more, at Fairyhouse previously.
