Alfa Beat potentially well treated

ALFA Beat must be strongly fancied to make a successful debut for new handler John ‘Shark’ Hanlon in the three-mile Leo Dolan Memorial Handicap Hurdle at Roscommon tonight.

Winner of the Guinness Kerry National - off a mark of 137 - for Charles Byrnes last September, the seven-year-old grey is potentially well-treated off a hurdle mark of 117 and, likely to be freshened up by a change of surroundings, should prove tough to beat in this stamina test.

Successful over fences on this track and in Wexford last summer, prior to his Listowel triumph, Alfa Beat registered his sole hurdle win of 2010 when scoring off a mark of 99 at Limerick in July.

Admittedly 18lb. higher now, Hanlon’s charge is still well treated, when compared to his chase mark. And he was far from disgraced when last seen, finishing sixth to Kerb Appeal in a competitive handicap at the Punchestown Festival.

If the market speaks in his favour, Alfa Beat should prove a tough nut to crack here and is preferred to the Cecil Ross trained Son Of My Heart.