Drying ground to suit Top Spin
With maximum fields in six of the eight races, punters have plenty of difficult puzzles to solve and minimum stakes are recommended throughout the card.
Without a win since recording his only hurdle success, at Fairyhouse in October 2013, Top Spin has been sent off at big prices in each of his starts this season.
But he ran an encouraging race last time, when fifth to Hard Bought in a competitive event at Gowran Park last month.
Top Spin’s only win came on good to firm ground and, with conditions drying out, the J P McManus-owned eight-year-old might be capable of going close under Niall Madden, successful for the same owner on Some Article in Fairyhouse on Tuesday, in a tricky race.
The Dessie McDonogh-trained Pack The Punch, winner of a Roscommon bumper on his debut, should also appreciate the better ground in the Ingard Point Maiden Hurdle.
But Danny Mullins’ 116-rated mount might struggle to give 8lb. to John Kiely’s Cairde Aris, which stepped-up on his previous efforts to get within three-quarters of a length of One Cool Princess, admittedly in heavy ground, in Cork last time.
A sold case can be made for at least five of the contenders in the Black Point Mares Beginners Chase and Paul Nolan has a particularly strong hand, with both Triplets Joy and Shuilamach in the field.
Preference is for Luke Dempsey’s mount Shuilamach, winner of a handicap hurdle at Cork in January, which has, worryingly failed to complete in her two efforts over fences.
But she did nothing wrong and was still travelling well, on the heels of the leaders when brought down by Feenakilmeedy three from home in an event ultimately won by Ivy Glen in Gowran last month. She might enjoy better luck this time.
