Ruby set for festival feast
Walsh is a realist, calls it as it is and when he fancies plenty of horses then only a fool would refuse to listen.
He really does appear to have a serious book of rides. He’s an absolute certainty, for instance, to be aboard at least three favourites.
They are Denman (SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle), Kauto Star (Champion Chase) and Mister Hight (Triumph Hurdle).
There’s every chance as well that Our Ben will go off favourite for the SunAlliance Novices Chase and you’d imagine that whatever Walsh finally decides to partner in the Bumper will also be market leader.
And Paul Nicholls’ Andreas, in the Grand Annual Chase, is yet another likely favourite for him.
Walsh also clearly fancies Nicholls’ Noland to overturn Sweet Wake in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He will be on Missed That, a live candiate, in the Arkle, Asian Maze, who has a choice of engagements, Hedgehunter in the Gold Cup and possibly Gungadu in the Brit Insurance Novices’ Hurdle. And there will be lots more as well.
You would have to conclude he has a depth to his team which appears far stronger than any other jockey.
Cashmans bet 5-6 Willie Mullins to be top Irish trainer and 9-4 Noel Meade. They have easily the strongest teams travelling and it is difficult to look beyond them.
Boylesports this week opened an interesting book on which of the Irish horses will do best in the Gold Cup.
They bet 1-1 Beef Or Salmon, 7-2 War Of Attrition, 4-1 Hedgehunter, 9-2 Forget The Past, 80-1 Prince Of Tara.
It’s not too bad a market, coming to about 110%. War Of Attrition would rate a nice bit of value.
lREMEMBER an old favourite of ours, Afistfullofdollars? Noel Meade’s charge has been on the easy-list since making a spectacular start over fences, landing a gamble in the process, at Down Royal way back in early November.
Meade had good news of him earlier this week, however, commenting: “He is due to have another scan, but there’s a possibilty of him being back for Punchestown.”
The news isn’t so good about Champion Hurdle runner-up Harchibald, though. “He has returned to Troytown Hospital and I’m not 100% sure he will be back next season,” reported Meade.
lDIDN’T you just love that performance by In Compliance at Leopardstown on Sunday? It is the easiest thing in the world to hype a horse out of all proportion, but this fellow has every chance of going the whole way.
In Compliance was a smashing novice hurdler, without being top class. But this is his real game and he’s in the hands of a master-trainer in Michael O'Brien.
It is a joy to watch the way In Compliance attacks his fences, particularly when hitting something approaching top gear.
You would have to like him and hopes he might develop into a Gold Cup horse next season seem realistic enough.
The six-year-old is, of course, by Old Vic, who seems to become a more impressive stallion by the day.
O'Brien’s other winner at Leopardstown, Parliament Square, was an amazing price in the novice hurdle.
He touched as high as 6-4, before lodging at 11-8. Why so many punters were against him was hard to fathom.
Yes, I know he hadn’t been seen since winning at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day and, reportedly, had suffered a fall at home in the meantime.
But O’Brien wouldn't bring him out again until sure he was spot-on and, quite frankly, Parliament Square looked to be head and shoulders above this lot.
And that’s from someone who took the opening show of evens and was happy to do so.
A horse to catch the eye at Leopardstown was Willie Mullins’ Candy Girl in the maiden hurdle won by Mister Top Notch.
She was returning from an absence of 511 days, having shown precious little previously. Candy Girl ran on strongly to be five lengths adrift of the winner and the fact it was another eight lengths to the third was encouraging.
Tom Hogan’s import Kalderon is surely a winner waiting in the wings. A useful sort on the level in France and Germany, he was beaten three lengths by Schindlers Hunt in a maiden hurdle. Kalderon got it all wrong at the last, otherwise would have finished even closer. Like Candy Girl there is, at worst, a little day in him.
