Weekend Tips: Grady Hollow looks ready to strike in bumper
Conflated should vindicate connections’ decision to skip the Cheltenham Festival in favour of the Grade 3 Novices Chase at Naas on Sunday. Picture: Healy Racing
Bumpers have never been high on Henry de Bromhead’s list of targets, but he has his winners in the sphere and could have two this weekend, starting with Grady Hollow this afternoon at Navan.
Runner-up to now stablemate Holymacapony on his point to point debut, he won next time before making his bumper debut at Limerick’s Christmas festival.
Never far off the pace, he was picked up late by the experienced Blazing Khal, with subsequent winners Noble Yeats and Meet And Greet in behind. Just a five-year-old, he looks a bright prospect for jumping next season, but has more than enough ability to win a bumper. This is a good opportunity. Mylestown Upper is an obvious danger, having run reasonably well behind the selection’s stablemate Gigolo’ Dai Dai on debut.
The last-named has strong claims of a follow-up in tomorrow’s bumper at Limerick, though that meeting is subject to inspection.
Tomorrow in Naas, Conflated is likely to be a short price to win the Grade 3 Bar One Racing Directors Plate Novice Chase but should vindicate connections’ decision to skip the Cheltenham Festival in favour of this race.
Atlantic Shore has been declared for today’s novice handicap chase and tomorrow’s Leinster National, and connections can be rewarding if waiting until tomorrow. A lightly raced eight-year-old, he has progressed nicely this season, and doesn’t look overly burdened by his mark of 137.
A recent win over hurdles did nothing to dispel the notion that he is on the up, and he can land this valuable prize for Philip Fenton.
If Limerick gets the go-ahead, Scarlet And Dove has what looks a penalty kick in the Grade 2 Charleville Cheese Irish EBF Mares’ Novice Chase. She is unproven over the trip and is running just eight days after her win at Navan, but on all known form she is streets ahead of her rivals. Minx Tiara was good on her chasing debut, in a poor race, but is open to improvement and this is a great opportunity to pick up some black type.
Mercury Lane might not get many better opportunities to win a maiden than the Fedamore Maiden Hurdle, over three miles. Paul Nolan’s runner has been placed on all five outings to date and a repeat of either of his last two efforts should be good enough.
Zanavi was a surprise winner last time but it looked a good performance, and he can follow up in the opener, the Murroe Hurdle.
1:40 Coqolino
2:10 Hallowed Star
2:45 Djasek (nb)
3:20 Indiana Jones
3:55 Castlegrace Paddy
4:30 School Boy Hours
5:05 Bilbo Bagins
5:40 Grady Hollow (nap)
1:40 El Barra
2:10 Gandy Man
2:45 Wait Here
3:20 Gars De Sceaux
3:55 Daly Tiger
4:30 Atlantic Shore
5:05 Espion Du Chenet
5:40 Mylestown Upper
1:30 Ujumpthelastuwin (nb)
2:00 Conflated
2:30 Atlantic Shore (nap)
3:05 Shadow Rider
3:35 Benkei
4:05 Caught On The Hop
4:40 Rocco Storm
5:15 It’sallabouteve
1:30 Jungle Junction
2:00 Harrie
2:30 Rocky’s Silver
3:05 Goodbye Someday
3:35 Strange Notions
4:05 Lifetime Ambition
4:40 Howluckycanwebe
5:15 Feddans
1:45 Zanavi
2:15 Global Equity
2:45 Scarlet And Dove
3:20 Classic Concorde
3:50 Mercury Lane
4:25 Seangoell
5:00 Gigolo’ Dai Dai
1:45 Scholastic
2:15 Lady Breffni
2:45 Minx Tiara
3:20 Laid Back Luke
3:50 Rochestown
4:25 Get Home
5:00 Ballycairn
