Rely on Ranger
Noel Meade's gelding won his bumper here and two reasonable efforts subsequently over flights hinted that his turn won't be long delayed at this game.
At Fairyhouse on New Year's Day he beat his principal market rivals decisively, but was mugged in the closing stages by 20-1 shot La Fisarmonica, giving best by a length.
That race was over two and a half miles and the selection then dropped down a furlong at Naas next time.
Mattock Ranger appeared to find the trip very much on the short side, only getting going late when six lengths runner-up behind Knight Legend.
In any case it is a contest which has been working out particularly well with the third, fourth and fifth respectively, Conna Castle (scored at Punchestown yesterday), Drummer First and Walkin Aisy all successful in the meantime.
Imperial Sun, second to Mattock Ranger's stable companion Snow Tern at Navan and in receipt of plenty of weight, looks the main danger.
Tony Martin's Millanymare, absent since finishing seventh of 23 behind Hordago over hurdles at Cheltenham in November, is the interesting one in the Horse and Jockey Handicap Chase. She runs here off 79, no less than 29lbs below her current rating over hurdles, and it really is a question of whether the market speaks in her favour.
If it does then Millanymare shouldn't be opposed, with Rog, who seemed to enjoy front-running tactics before being grabbed by Ransboro at Naas, put forward as the alternative.
In-form Take Your Mark should run a big race in the Littleton Handicap Hurdle. He revelled in the testing conditions when scoring by five lengths at Fairyhouse last week.
The eight-year-old shaped then as if he would stay this extra six furlongs and a 7lbs penalty could not be described as overly harsh.
Dun Drinan, travelling nicely when falling three out in the contest won by Hazelhall Princess at Naas last month, may be on a winning mark in the Clonoulty Handicap Chase.
