Clonmel tips: Gorki D’airy poised to get off the mark

Runner-up when sent off favourite on his debut for Willie Mullins, he was pulled up on his second start of last season, but ran much better on his return

Thu, 06 Jan, 2022 - 06:00

Tommy Lyons

Gorki D’airy has been found a superb opportunity to get off the mark in the Monroe Maiden Hurdle at Clonmel today.

Runner-up when sent off favourite on his debut for Willie Mullins, he was pulled up on his second start of last season, but ran much better on his return, in a maiden hurdle at this venue in which he finished third behind Gordon Dai Dai and Fameaftertheglory.

The runner-up didn’t do the form any harm when filling the same spot in another maiden hurdle in which he was trying to concede 11lbs to a promising sort. Gorki D’airy is a huge sort, open to plenty of improvement, and there was plenty to like about the way he stuck to his task last time. In these slightly calmer waters, he can get the winning bracket he deserves. Mahons Glory can give him most to think about. He has also shown plenty of promise and should get his turn before too long.

Classic Getaway, a £570,000 purchase following his point-to-point victory, made a winning start in a bumper last year at Tipperary and can do likewise over timber in the Munster Hurdle, the feature on today’s card. This is a good test of Willie Mullins’ runner as he is conceding experience to all his rivals. However, if he is to be a leading contender in one of the novice hurdles at Cheltenham in just two months’ time, he will need to hit the ground running, and this race is a good opportunity to tell where he sits in the grander scheme of the novice hurdling department. He looks a top prospect for the seasons ahead and can go a little further to proving that by winning today.

Uhtred was well backed to win a Grade One novice hurdle just two runs ago and, while never dangerous, he didn’t run all that badly. On the back of that, he was strongly fancied to win a hurdle at Limerick’s Christmas festival but came a cropper before the race had reached its climax. He remains open to improvement and is respected.

The selection’s stablemate, Cash Back, is seriously talented, as is obvious from his chasing mark of 156. In his four completed starts over fences, he won twice and finished runner-up in a Grade One, but three consecutive falls highlighted his frailties in that department. Going back to his hurdling career, he also showed a high level of ability, most notably when runner-up to Mister Blue Sky in a Grade Two at Fairyhouse. He is 10 years old now and not likely to find any improvement but ought to run a decent race.

Full Noise will be a short price to carry top weight to victory in the Tipperary Handicap Hurdle. A winner at Punchestown in May but well beaten on return, he got back to winning ways on New Year’s Day at Fairyhouse, where he had little trouble justifying heavy support into odds-on favouritism in a 17-runner handicap. Ronan McNally’s six-year-old must shoulder just the mandatory five-pound penalty, which should ensure he is a very short price to follow up.

Fellow top weight The Higher Road is nought from nine under rules but won her only outing in a point to point and has shown more than enough to suggest she is not far away from making the breakthrough on the track. She will need Full Noise to underperform if today is to be her day, but she is worth noting with the future in mind.

CLONMEL

Tommy Lyons

12:20 Happywifehappylife

12:50 Gorki D’airy (nap)

1:20 Brilliant Question

1:50 Classic Getaway (nb)

2:25 Full Noise

3:00 An Marcach

3:30 Ask D’man

Next best

12:20 La Prima Donna

12:50 Mahons Glory