Keep Russell on your side
He partners Shop Dj for Peter Fahey in the opening Holycross Mares’ Chase and the six-year-old is the nap choice.
Shop Dj finished off last season with a stunning display in a Grade 3 over flights at the Punchestown festival in May, powering to an impressive 13 lengths success.
She reappeared over fences at Roscommon last month, thrown in at the deep end in another Grade 3. The daughter of Dushyantor could only manage a remote fourth behind St Devote, but performed sufficiently well to indicate this is more than within her capabilities.
Shop Dj’s jumping was safe, if not spectacular, and she can be expected to improve plenty for both the experience and stepping up another two furlongs in trip.
Russell can guide Seamus Fahey’s Solaris Exhibition to victory in the Killinan three-year-old Maiden Hurdle.
Solaris Exhibition has been in good form of late and won’t have to improve much on his half a length second to Whatever It Takes at Clonmel last time to take a hand now.
Another Russell possibility is the admittedly somewhat frustrating Rivage d’Or in the www.thurlesraces.ie Beginners Chase.
He was a costly failure on his chasing debut at Tipperary 16 days ago, managing only third behind Derinlaur and Forjoetheplumber.
A horse who does all of his best work on the bridle, Rivage d’Or will surely strip fitter on this occasion.
It could be Russell as well aboard Charles Byrnes’ Sea Of Thunder in the Cashel Maiden Hurdle.
Third to Farrells Fancy and Worldly Wise at Tipperary, he is clearly no great shakes, but may have the legs on Spot Fine, beaten into second by Byrnes’ Captain Dancer, also at Tipperary.
