Rely on front-running Sweet Kiln to deliver
Edward O’Grady’s gelding put up a stunning display at the Festival last year to score by ten lengths and hopes were high he would develop into a genuine Champion Hurdle candidate.
But after finishing a disappointing fifth behind Golden Cross at Leopardstown at Christmas, Back In Front wasn’t seen again.
He is surely then best watched today in a contest which brings together other very useful National Hunt performers in Macs Joy and Ground Ball.
They are all getting organised for the new jumps campaign, however, and the one to be on now is race-fit, front-running, Sweet Kiln!
This triple bumper-winner is made in the same mould as brilliant stable companions, Limestone Lad and Solerina, in that she only knows only one way of doing things, hard and fast from the start. She made a smashing reappearance at Tipperary recently to score by 14 lengths and gets the nap to deal with no less than 29 opponents.
John Oxx’s Zafarna should take plenty beating in the Coldrick Jewellers Navan Maiden Win A Diamond Maiden.
She proved a costly failure at Limerick in May and wasn’t seen again until Fairyhouse some four months later.
This time Zafarna produced a much more promising effort, finishing with a real flourish to go under by a fast diminishing short head to Queen. The form was boosted when fourth placed, Night Fairy, scored at Roscommon on Monday.
Aidan O’Brien’s Down Mexico Way looks best in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden. He can only improve on his debut fourth to Imperial Brief at the Curragh 11 days ago.
