Western Diego can build on promising return at Fairyhouse
POINT TO PROVE: Touched off by Oldschool Outlaw, right, at Naas before Christmas, Bambino Fever can get off the mark over hurdles at Fairyhouse on Wednesday. Picture: Healy Racing
One of four runners for Willie Mullins, Western Diego should make a bold bid to make his fencing breakthrough in the €100,000 Tote Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase, the feature of today’s rescheduled card in Fairyhouse.
The nine-year-old, winner of his bumper in Naas and a maiden hurdle in Fairyhouse in January of 2023 and 2024 respectively, had been placed in two of his six starts over fences and chased home Springt De la Mare in a rated novice at Punchestown last February.
He went on to be unplaced in ultra-competitive handicaps at Ayr and Punchestown last spring.
And, significantly, he shaped with plenty of promise on his seasonal bow over this course and distance in late November, recovering from a mistake at the second last fence and staying on encouraging on the run-in to finish third behind Drumgill and Touch Me Not.
He reopposes both rivals here and, 6lb better off with Drumgill, should make his presence felt in this tough handicap.
Gordon Elliott’s Touch Me Not, highly-tried last season when second to Majborough in the Arkle at Leopardstown and to L’Eau Du Sud in the Henry VIII at Sandown, should figure prominently again, with James Smith claiming a valuable 5lb.
Blood Destiny, third to Western Fold in a Grade Two at Gowran Park back in October, must shoulder top-weight while, at his best Henry de Bromhead’s Inthepocket would have definite claims.
Despite a long odds-on defeat on her hurdling debut in Naas before Christmas, Bambino Fever is impossible to oppose in the Download The Tote App Mares Maiden Hurdle.
Unbeaten in four bumpers, this six-year-old Jukebox Jury mare proved her star quality when beating the geldings in Grade One contests at both Cheltenham and Punchestown.
Sent off at 1-4 for her hurdling bow in Naas, she failed by a half-length to Oldschool Outlaw, winner of a listed bumper in Navan on her previous start, with an 11-length gap back to subsequent winner Radiator Springs.
With that experience under her belt, the Paul Townend-ridden Bambino Fever should prove a cut above her 12 rivals.
The market should prove a good guide to the opening four-year-old hurdle as Willie Mullins gives Irish debuts to Macho Man and Proactif, both successful on their only starts, at Auteuil, before being recruited to carry the familiar Donnelly and McManus colours respectively. Marginal preference is for Proactif.
Paul Townend, who endured a frustrating time at Punchestown on Monday, also has obvious prospects on Karoline Banbou, second to Jacob’s Ladder on her chase debut at this venue, in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase.
12.45 Proactif
1.15 Bambino Fever
1.45 Found A Diamond
2.15 Western Diego (NB)
2.50 Karoline Banbou (Nap)
3.25 Jacovec Cavern
4.00 The Wager
12.45 Macho Man
1.15 Miss Doyenne
1.45 The Lovely Man
2.15 Touch Me Not
2.50 Port Joulain
3.25 Miss Pronunciation
4.00 Pinndar
