Side with Sloane
He promised more than was delivered in four outings last season, but there was always the suspicion that substantial improvement could be forthcoming down the line.
The four-year-old returned to action at the Galway Festival earlier this month and was the medium of some inspired support.
Backed from 5-1 to 11-4 and partnered by Niall Madden, the selection made no mistake, landing the wagers with a lot in hand.
He cruised ahead at the final flight and then stretched away on the level to beat Noble Crusader, successful at Downpatrick on Monday, by five lengths.
This is a much stiffer test, against the likes of Quinmaster and Spiriton, but Gay Sloane looked one to follow at Ballybrit, at least for the moment, and gets the nod.
Third in that Galway contest was Dessie Hughes’ The Rall and he is the choice in the Kelly Green Laytown Maiden Hurdle.
Essentially, he has been a bit disappointing, but stepping up to three miles for the first time, the expected good ground and weak opposition are all in his favour.
Tony Mullins’ Rock And Roll Kid should prove hard to beat in the first division of the Ulster Bank N.E Business Centre and Property Finance Handicap.
He got off the mark with a vengeance at the Curragh on Sunday, scoring by three lengths in a 28-runner field, and has obvious prospects, under just a mandatory 5lbs penalty.
Fast Lightning, who made a belated, but promising, seasonal reappearance when a somewhat unlucky head second behind Damasque at Gowran Park, could be the answer to the other section of the same contest.
