Today's Tips: Promising Okotoks looks the business in maiden hurdle at Listowel

Extremely testing ground is the greatest certainty on today’s card at Listowel, but the nap goes to Okotoks, in the MSD Animal Health Maiden Hurdle.

The Tony Martin-trained five-year-old hasn’t been seen since winning a bumper at Down Royal in May, but is sure to be ready for his return to this discipline. On his only previous start over hurdles, he contested a maiden at the Christmas meeting at Leopardstown, and ran really well to finish third behind Identity Thief and Snow Falcon. With the winner now rated 137 and the runner-up 143, it was clearly a smart effort.

Ruby Walsh, who rode him that day, is on board once more, and the partnership can prove too sharp for another very promising sort, Tully East. The latter finished runner-up to Identity Thief in a Fairyhouse bumper last November, and filled the same position behind Hurry Henry last time.