Today's Tips: Road To Riches can make class tell at Clonmel
The five runners are headed by Cheltenham Gold Cup third Road To Riches and, if returning anywhere near that level, should be very hard to beat.
There are obvious concerns regarding fitness, but such doubts surround all the runners bar, perhaps, Bright New Dawn, who has run twice in the last four weeks but got no further than the third fence.
Felix Yonger developed into a reliable chaser last term, winning four in a row, including the Grade 1 Boylesports Champion Chase at Punchestown, but was beaten on first start of that season, and could need the run.
Mallowney also developed into a very smart sort last term, but has never won beyond two miles and a furlong, while First Lieutenant’s last success was at the Aintree Festival of 2013, and he made little impact last season.
It’s a high-class field, for which the market should be most informative, but Road To Riches, who has a good record fresh, can make his class tell, chiefly at the expense of Felix Yonger.
The nap goes to Deano, who could be a real spot of value in the Prior Park Service Station Clonmel Handicap Chase. Quite lightly raced for an eight-year-old, he has had just three outings over fences, winning the most recent of them, at this track, after two runner-up finishes.
They all came last season, and he made his return over hurdles just 11 days ago at Cork, where he caught the eye finishing third behind Perfect Woman, who followed up at Thurles.
On that occasion, he travelled very strongly from off the pace but was unable to find the extras to land a telling blow.
That may have been down to needing the run or to the two-and-a-half-mile trip stretching his stamina, or a combination of both. Whichever, he should be better for the run, and more at home over this slightly shorter trip.
It’s interesting he returns to chasing so quickly, as he certainly has a hurdle rating off which he can win.
Taking a positive spin on the decision, connections must be confident he is, indeed, on an upward curve, and is better over fences than he has shown.
With the track, trip and ground no problem, and the race likely to be run to suit a horse that can settle off the pace, the son of Oscar Schindler can make a successful return to chasing.
Noble Inn should take a world of beating in the finale. Much improved on the flat in the last couple of months, he comes here with fitness assured and a likelihood he can translate that improvement to this sphere.
Entirely unexposed over hurdles, he can take this en route to better things.
