Trafford Lad may have legs of Drinmore rivals
A high-class novice hurdler, he has taken really well to fences and may have the legs on a couple of rivals who are more than useful.
The selection won well at Punchestown last time, giving the impression there was a lot of improvement to come. He ran far too freely for his own good in the early stages and then made an uncharacteristic error at the ninth.
But good horses make light of such drawbacks and he buckled down in terrific style in the closing stages to score by four lengths.
Tranquil Sea made an excellent start over fences at Cork and, along with Forpadydeplasterer, who is a lot better than he looked when scrambling to victory at Punchestown, are the pair likely to emerge as the main dangers.
All eyes will be on the exciting Cousin Vinny, as he is thrown in at the deep end on his debut over jumps in the Bar One Racing Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
He is the only horse to have won the Cheltenham and Punchestown Festival bumpers, but a lack of experience is a worry and preference is for stable companion, Hurricane Fly.
This French-import won a maiden by a street at Punchestown and then returned to his native country to run two fine races at Auteuil, beating Grivette in a Grade 3 and then subsequently taking second behind the same horse, on altered terms.
If we take a literal interpretation of Hardy Eustace’s defeat of Sizing Europe and Jered at Punchestown, then he would be the logical choice in the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle.
But, perhaps, we shouldn’t read too much into that, on the basis Sizing Europe blew up and Jered didn’t handle the surface. Catch Me, who has looked on very good terms with himself of late and who won well at Navan, is preferred.
At Fairyhouse this afternoon, the progressive Alpine Eagle gets the nap in the Kildownet Group Novice Hurdle.
The penny has started to drop with him and Jessica Harrington’s charge could hardly have been more impressive when getting off the mark by 14 lengths at Thurles nine days ago.
Willie Mullins’ Pomme Tiepy has a leading chance in the Fairyhouse Membership 2009 Hurdle. Because she has never won over flights, the five-year-old gets all the allowances and her burden is further reduced by in-form Paul Townend.
Pomme Tiepy produced a series of solid efforts over fences last season, relishes soft ground and should be all the better for a recent spin at Clonmel.
The Bumper is a good race, with the nod falling on Noel Meade’s Across The Bay. He scored by ten lengths, doing handstands, at Navan and the second, Long Strand, went in next time.
