Magic can lead rivals a merry dance

EARTH MAGIC is fancied to lead his rivals a merry dance in the Albany Hurdle on an eight-race programme at Navan this afternoon.

The conditions of the contest are in his favour and promising claimer Sean Flanagan takes another 5lbs off. Of course the seven-year-old, arguably, shouldn’t strip as fit as his main rivals, but horses trained by Michael Bowe rarely need a run.

The selection won first time up last season and has some cracking efforts to his name, notably finishing a length second to Noel Meade’s well-regarded Heron’s Flight at Naas back in March. All ground seems to come the same to him.