Lightly-raced Popcorn to pounce in hurdle

PATRICK MULLINS can guide Popcorn, trained by his father, Willie, to success in the Holy Cross Maiden Hurdle at Thurles this afternoon.

The lightly-raced eight-year-old should now be ready to strike over jumps, having run two promising races of late.

At Punchestown in February, he ran well-backed favourite, Tofino Bay, to a neck and later that month produced another decent effort.