Athlete to make it a three-timer
Noel Meade’s gelding was very disappointing, until getting off the mark over flights at Cork last month, taking a moderate maiden by a hard-earned half a length from Sporting Medic.
He then stepped up in class at Punchestown next time, but came through a far stiffer test with flying colours. Model Athlete made virtually all the running, battling strongly for Paul Carberry in the closing stages to hold the persistent challenge of Dancing Hero.
Significantly, both of those successes have come when the selection was racing on a sound surface, so, hopefully, that will be the case again tonight.
Another who clearly likes to hear his hooves rattle, Some Craic, gets the nap to land the Fay Bookmakers’ Handicap ‘Chase. On quick ground at Clonmel nine days ago, Michael Hourigan’s eight-year-old showed much improved form when scoring by nine lengths.
Needless to day, he’s paid the price for that, going up 12lbs, but appears progressive and is still on an attractive mark.
Edward O’Grady and Andrew
McNamara can strike with ex-German horse Negus in the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil Maiden Hurdle. Second in a Listed event on the flat at Dusseldorf, Negus made a solid start over flights when eighth to Solwhit in a winners’ race at Punchestown.
There are signs Eoin Griffin’s charges may be about to strike form and his Bantry Commons gets the nap to take the Bumper at Navan tomorrow.
After finishing second to Jaffonnien at Leopardstown in February, he looked a certain winner, sooner rather than later. The selection wasn’t seen again until the Punchestown Festival, however, when turning in a below-par effort to fill fourth spot behind Bob Lingo.
You suspect the selection is a far better horse than that and should now take all the beating in a contest high on quantity, but low on quality.
Griffin’s dual winner over hurdles, Gurrun, has always shaped like a ’chaser and gets the nod to make a successful start over fences in the Navan Town Beginners ‘Chase.
Dbest, runner-up behind Eye Candy (rec.11lbs) over fences at Punchestown last week, has easily the best of the weights in the Athlumney Hurdle and only has to give his running to collect the spoils.
Five handicaps make tomorrow’s Gowran Park programme particularly unappetising. Set Sail, sixth to Ryehill Dreamer on his debut in terrible ground on this track, might prove one of the better bets on the card in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden.
