Concerto can confirm promise
Noel Meade’s imposing five-year-old will carry a huge reputation into the race and can live up to the star billing given to him by his shrewd handler.
He won his maiden on this track last month and could hardly have been more impressive. Aran Concerto travelled supremely well through that contest, strolling to a 14 lengths defeat of previous winner, The Very Man.
The hat-trick seeking Footy Facts should, at worst, give the selection plenty to think about. He showed all the right qualities to slam Casey Jones by nine lengths on this track last time, but it was disappointing to see Casey Jones fail to deliver in an ordinary event at Gowran Park on Thursday.
Paul Carberry partners Aran Concerto and he can Meade can also take the Christmas Hurdle with Orbit O’Gold, who showed improved form when slamming heavily-backed Streets Of Gold to the tune of seven lengths at Downpatrick.
Mick The Man, who scored with any amount in hand first time up at Navan, should be a third Meade success in the Bumper.
If Mounthenry puts his best foot forward then he’s likely to make short work of the opposition in the Grade 2 Giltspur Scientific Tara Hurdle.
But he’s had a couple of bad experiences over fences of late, getting it completely wrong at Cork in early November, and a watching brief may be best for the moment!
The hopeful nod falls on Southern Vic, also on a retrieving mission having only finished fifth, admittedly under top weight, in the Troytown Chase at Navan.
At Thurles tomorrow, Dusty Sheehy’s Gleann An Sagart can take the Moycarkey Maiden Hurdle, a heat in which no less than 65 horses were balloted out.
The selection is taking a big drop in class, having finished 12 lengths and seven lengths third behind Clopf and Aitmatov in a Grade 3 at Navan.
Noel Meade’s Jazz Messenger is the one to beat in the featured Horse and Jockey Hotel Hurdle, although producing a below-par performance the last time he ran over flights, at Listowel. He has, however, been in terrific form on the flat since then, shrugging off 9-12 to land a mile and a half handicap at Leopardstown on his latest appearance.
Joe Crowley’s Pontium could hardly be described as the fastest horse around, but there is no denying his prospects in the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Maiden Hurdle, after chasing home The Halfway Bar at Gowran Park on Thursday.
Fairyhouse today offers little cause for optimism, with the nap vote falling on Colm Murphy’s Wickford in the Curragha Maiden Hurdle.
Winner of a bumper at Fairyhouse, he should be suited to stepping up another half mile in trip, following his sixth behind Johnnie Dillinger, on his debut over jumps, also at Fairyhouse.
Mrs Diniver, grabbed late by market-leader Loup Du Saubouas at Thurles, should go close in the Kilbride three-year-old Maiden Hurdle.
