Big Game Hunter ready to pounce
He showed nothing in his only outing as a juvenile, but clearly improved enormously over the winter, on the evidence of his reappearance at Leopardstown last month.
Big Game Hunter finished third behind the Ballydoyle pair, Stately Home and Yankee Doodle, making a lot of the running and battling on dourly in the closing stages.
As a son of Sadler’s Wells he should handle the likely testing conditions and stepping up another three furlongs in trip seems all in his favour.
There are strong indications Dermot Weld’s horses are starting to come back to form and his Enchanted Evening will be hard to beat in the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Fillies Maiden.
She hinted at having ability on her only run last season and then made an excellent return at Naas four weeks ago.
Jakarta Jazz, with the benefit of an outing under her belt, was a major market order that day, but had to dig deep to beat Enchanted Evening by a short head.
The third, Handsome Batchelor, has won since and Jakarta Jazz herself was far from disgraced when fourth to Beauty O’Gwaun in a Group 3 at Naas on Wednesday night.
At Kilbeggan tonight, should the meeting pass a 9.00 precautionary inspection this morning, Paul Nolan’s Noble Prince is the nap in the three mile FBD Insurance Hurdle.
His first two efforts in this country were without merit, but the five-year-old is clearly progressing rapidly.
He took a moderate maiden at Gowran Park with a lot in hand and was beaten by a smart horse in Jessie’s Dream at the recent Punchestown Festival.
Willie Mullins’ Red Hot Poker, now a seven-year-old, can take the www.kilbegganraces.ie Bumper.
He’s obviously had problems, but should improve on his fifth to Kilflora at Gowran in March, where he pulled far too hard in the first half of the contest.
Best race at Limerick tomorrow is the Supermacs’ Drive Thru Hurdle, which brings together smart sorts in Healys Bar, Conna Castle and Clear Riposte.
Preference is for Willie Mullins’ Clear Riposte, particularly should the ground remain on the good side.
She gets weight from the other pair, augmented by Emmet Mullins’ claim, and should be primed to strike, having filled seventh behind stable companion Sesenta in a fiercely competitive handicap at Punchestown.
