Hero can give Foleya change of luck
Considering he has won two bumpers and was a creditable fifth to Hairy Molly in the Weatherbys' Champion Bumper at Cheltenham last year, the selection has beeen largely disappointing over flights.
There was plenty of encouragement in his latest effort, however, dead-heating with Jumeirah Scarer for second spot, a length adrift of Ebaziyan, at Thurles in February.
Ebaziyan went on to land the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, but it would be wrong to get too carried away.
That performance on the part of Ebaziyan bore no comparison to his Thurles effort and Willie Mullins' charge had to have made extraordinary improvement in the meantime.
Nevertheless it was hardly a minus although subsequent defeats for Jumeirah Scarer and The Harrier Man, who was fourth at Thurles, keep things in perspective.
In any case, Dancing Hero has the ability to take this and only has to run near to his best to go very close!
You can argue that the trip, two miles, and the drying ground are against Earth Magic in the Duggan Profiles Novice Hurdle, but he still gets the vote.
He ran moderately behind Tailor's Hall at Navan last time but previously split the smart pair, Heron's Flight and Heavenly Blues, at Naas.
That contest was over the minimum trip, but there is no doubt Earth Magic is better over further. The likelihood is he will try and make all and, with capable 7lbs claimer Sean Flanagan booked, will take plenty of catching.
Tony Martin's Psycho is the choice in the Inistioge Handicap Hurdle. An eight lengths winner at Limerick, the six-year-old went up 17lbs for that. But since he was scoring off a particularly low mark anyway he could still be ahead of the handicapper.
