Six to tackle War of Attrition
Mouse Morris’s classy seven-year-old will again be partnered by Conor O’Dwyer and will prove a huge attraction on the second day of the Festival.
He beat compatriots Hedgehunter and Forget The Past at Cheltenham. Forget The Past is set to renew rivalry, but Hedgehunter, who had a hard race when runner-up to Numbersixvalverde in the Grand National at Aintree, has declined the engagement.
There are seven left in the Grade One, including Beef Or Salmon. He made no show in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and then parted company with Paul Carberry at Aintree.
Fresh from a recent spin over flights at Fairyhouse, he will now be ridden by Timmy Murphy.
Michael Hourigan trains Beef Or Salmon and also runs Hi Cloy, successful at Aintree, who will have Andrew McNamara in the plate.
Completing the line-up are Watson Lake, the veteran Native Upmanship and Back In Front, who is set to do duty for Edward O’Grady in today’s Grade Two Ellier Developments Novice Chase.
Cashmans bet: 1-1 War Of Attrition, 5-2 Beef Or Salmon, 4-1 Forget The Past, 8-1 Hi Cloy, 16-1 Watson Lake, 200-1 Native Upmanship.
Meanwhile, Brave Inca, Macs Joy and Hardy Eustace, the first three home in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle have been left in the field for Friday’s the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle, with Colm Murphy’s Brave Inca looking to confirm his one-length beating of Macs Joy.
Aintree winner Asian Maze, who was a faller at Cheltenham, is also set to run for Tom Mullins while Michael O’Brien’s Essex completes the likely line-up.
John Murphy’s champion two-mile chaser Newmill has been left in the race as a precaution and he lines up in today’s Kerrygold Champion Chase.
