Tarla fitz the bill at Cork
The champion jockey takes just one ride, aboard the high-class Rebel Fitz in the www.racinghomeforeaster.com Hurdle.
The Galway Hurdle hero will be having his first outing since disappointing 165 days ago in a Grade 2 at Tipperary back in early October.
He went off an odds-on shot that day, but performed way below expectations when beaten 11 lengths into second by Captain Cee Bee.
The heavy ground then was hardly a help and it was no surprise when Michael Winters decided to draw stumps with the horse and aim him instead at a spring campaign.
The problem now, of course, is that conditions are again likely to be testing and Rebel Fitz might just be vulnerable, especially having to travel two and a half miles.
As well as that you’d imagine Winters may have left a bit to work on, with bigger targets to aim at in the coming weeks.
Perhaps, Willie Mullins’ Tarla will have the legs on him on this occasion. She is sent back over flights, after suffering two falls over fences, but handles the ground and is more than capable of going a swinging gallop in front.
Mullins can double up with Patanne in the UCC R&G Bumper. He came back after a break at Navan 19 days ago and looked a much improved horse.
The selection was beaten two and a three quarter lengths by Dermot Weld’s Some Tikket, they were well clear of the third, and Some Tikket boosted the form when strolling to victory in a maiden hurdle at Navan on Monday.
The nap vote falls on Cathy Harrison’s Mireya in the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.
Successful in a bumper at Galway in September, she returned after a break of 172 days over jumps at Leopardstown earlier this month.
Mireya ran a cracker to finish five lengths runner-up behind the smart Operating and this represents a drop in class.
