Chief set to take charge
His three outings in bumpers have clearly indicated he is a horse who is short of speed, but blessed with an abundance of stamina.
Indeed, that was the quality which saw Are Ya Right Chief get off the mark at Fairyhouse on his latest appearance, as he battled on dourly in the closing stages to beat Mooney’s Cottage by half a length.
Mooney’s Cottage did nothing for the form subsequently, but that is somewhat counterbalanced by the smooth success of Please Talk, third at Fairyhouse, in a maiden hurdle at Punchestown last Sunday.
All five runners in the Goresbridge Novice Hurdle have a life, but the one to beat is surely Charlie Swan’s Make A Track.
He has been performing well since arriving here from Britain and was just outclassed when third behind a pair of smart horses in Mount Benbulben and Rebel Fitz in a Grade 2 at Navan last month.
The Christmas Championship At Gowran three-year-old Hurdle houses a particularly interesting Willie Mullins-trained French-import in the shape of Darroun.
A son of Dalakhani and the winner of a maiden on the flat in his native country, he used to be owned by the Aga Khan and trained by Alain De Royer-Dupre.
His travels in the market will be all important, but from this range the nod falls on the durable, front-running, One Cool Shabra, who certainly has the best form to his name.
The Gowran Park Racing Club 2012 Maiden Hurdle has all the appearances of a three-hand reel and Castle Wings, Pride Of The Artic and Quaquo de Flotte are the ones on which to concentrate.
Castle Wings has been disappointing, but may be worth risking. He has hit the deck in his last two races, but was holding every chance at Limerick last time when departing two out.
Eventual winner, Whatwillwecallher, was probably travelling better than the selection in any case, but she is a more than useful mare.
