Monksland can make winning return to action
Lightly raced, the five-year-old is a horse of immense potential and, hopefully, will indicate here that such thinking is not well wide of the mark.
Successful in a bumper and a maiden hurdle, he then stepped up in class in a Grade 2 at Naas in January.
Monksland came through that test with flying colours, making a mistake at the last and then quickening in style to easily beat Lyreen Legend.
He then finished an excellent campaign with a creditable third behind Simonsig and Felix Yonger in the Neptune Investment Management Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
Charles O’Brien’s Stocktons Wings has to be the fancy in the Eventsec three-year-old Hurdle.
A useful enough sort on the flat, he certainly caught the eye on his debut over jumps when third to Haabesh and Top Man Michael at Listowel.
Michael Winters’ fine money-spinner, Missunited, gets the vote in the Grade 3 EBF Lough Construction Ltd Mares’ Novice Hurdle.
She ran a cracker in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh to finish second, under a big weight, to Voleuse De Coeurs and is ultra-smart over flights.
The nap vote falls on the progressive Yes Way Hosay in the two miles and six Allianz Maiden Hurdle.
He was grabbed late and beaten a nose by Digeanta at Gowran Park and is the choice ahead of Bonisland, who was too good for the subsequent easy Naas winner, Thunder And Roses, in a bumper at Roscommon.
