Teach Nua can make winning flat debut
Dermot Weld’s four-year-old has contested three bumpers and it’s been a case of steady improvement along the way.
The Val Royal gelding got bogged down in the testing conditions at Thurles back in February when fourth behind the useful Tom Taaffe trained Smoking Aces.
He was then given a long break, before returning to action at Cork eleven days ago. Despite stumbling approaching the turn in, he beat The Last Derby a comfortable length.
Five days later Teach Nua ran again, this time at Sligo. He proceeded to put up his best effort to date, cruising to an easy two lengths success.
You could argue that nine furlongs on the level may not exactly be ideal, but he does seem to possess plenty of pace and it’s not the strongest of contests!
Philip Fenton’s Paddy The Ref should provide the answer to the Ballinrobe Tool And Plant Hire Maiden Hurdle.
The only previous winner in the line up, he proved a costly failure on his first start over flights at Killarney.
Paddy The Ref travelled like a winner for most of the journey, but was eventually outbattled and beaten a length and a quarter by Define.
There’s a suspicion the selection may not find a huge amount off the bridle, but is given the benefit of the doubt in this league.
Coolnaharan, who has been going the right way over hurdles of late, a head second last time to Swiss Cottage at Wexford, gets the nod in the Gerard Geraghty and Co Financial Advisors Handicap Chase.
