Rising Dust has enough class to provide Christmas cheer at Thurles
Thurles racecourse. Pic: SPORTSFILE
Thurles this afternoon draws a line under the pre-Christmas action this side of the Irish Sea and Rising Dust can send punters into the festival period on a high by taking the Molony Cup Handicap Chase.
Beaten at odds-on on his first start for Emmet Mullins, he made amends in a handicap hurdle at Listowel and followed up at Punchestown before disappointing on soft ground at Clonmel.
He then went back over fences for a race at this venue and won well, again at a short price. That win, off the lowly mark of 86, earned a 15lb rise up the ratings but that still leaves him 10lbs lower than he is over hurdles.
Clearly, there is plenty of wiggle room in his new mark and, provided the ground does not deteriorate too much, he should have little trouble following up. Aclass belatedly broke his duck on his most recent outing and should remain competitive, while Love Like This also holds strong claims.
The highlight of the day’s action is the listed Billy Harney Memorial Irish EBF Boreen Belle Mares’ Novice Hurdle and Willie Mullins’ Korinthia can get straight back to winning ways after her third-place finish at Down Royal.
Winner of two bumpers last season, she was too free to do herself justice in the listed bumper at the November meeting in Cheltenham but after that run she was off the track for almost ten months prior to making her debut over hurdles.
That came in Ballinrobe, and she readily justified odds-on favouritism, and while she was subsequently beaten in a Grade Three at Down Royal, it was a decent effort, and once again she gave the impression that she might appreciate going further. She is running over two miles today, which is barely adequate, but she is a nice prospect and, under a positive ride, she can get the better of Salsinhna and Samba Train.
Mullins also appears to hold the key to the two divisions of the William Hill Each-Way Extra Challenge Series Maiden Hurdle. In the first of them, he runs Eliodam and Drop A Threat, both owned by Gigginstown.
The latter, a point-to-point winner, was disappointing on both track outings to date and thus quite easy to overlook, but Eliodam is certainly interesting despite being well beaten on his only outing to date.
That run came in the big sales bumper at Fairyhouse won by I’m Slippy but the most significant thing about that effort is that he was backed from 15-2 down to 4-1 on the show. Clearly there were strong signs of ability at home, and his place and strength in the market holds the key to this race.
There is a link between him and stablemate Boedic, who runs in the second division, and the latter is also owned by Gigginstown and also ran in the sales bumper at Fairyhouse. This fellow fared much better however, finishing fourth. He didn’t have the clearest of runs that day but there was distinct promise in his effort and he can make a winning debut over timber at the expense of Zeus Power and Luker’s Tipple.
Tommy Lyons' picks:
11:37 Rushmount
12:12 Rising Dust (nap)
12:47 Korinthia (nb)
1:22 Fiver Friday
1:57 Eliodam
2:32 Boedic
3:05 He Can’t Dance
3:40 Sound Judgement
11:37 Inthenickoftime
12:12 Aclass
12:47 Salsinha
1:22 Ephesus
1:57 Top Coeur
2:32 Zeus Power
3:05 William Tell
3:40 Fastnet Crystal
