Gino Bella can make breakthrough at Clonmel
DENIED: Gino Bella was reeled in by Poets Oath (green and yellow silks) at Mallow last time out but may be able to go one place better at Clonmel on Thursday. Picture: Healy Racing
Gino Bella can get off the mark at the tenth time of asking by winning the KEP Italia Handicap Hurdle at Clonmel on Thursday.
The Patrick Foley-trained six-year-old has hit the frame in three of her four starts this season and went closer than ever to making the breakthrough when going down by just a neck to Poets Oath in a 22-runner handicap hurdle at Cork a fortnight ago.
A 4lb rise for that effort doesn’t look excessive given the front two at Mallow finished 16 lengths clear of the third.
Should Gino Bella run to that level again, she may finally get her turn.
Our Uncle Jack should also be in the mix. A runway winner at Clonmel in January he followed up at Fairyhouse in February before being pulled up when stepped up in trip at the same venue on his most recent start. He drops back to two miles on Thursday and may be able to bounce back.
Gordon Elliott has a host of chances across the card, starting in the opening race, the SIS Supporting Irish Racing Chase, where Maxxum, the choice of Jack Kennedy, gets the vote to get the better of stablemate Dee Capo.
The selection has yet to win this season but has continued to run to a decent level in graded company, most notably when a close third to stablemate Staffordshire Knot in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan in February.
He hasn’t tackled fences for nearly two years but this looks a decent opportunity for the nine-year-old to claim a second success over the bigger obstacles.
Elliott and Kennedy can also prove a winning combination in the KEP Italia Superior Helmets Maiden Hurdle with One To Witness fancied to improve sufficiently from his bumper debut at Naas and get the better of Cullentra House debutant Dooks.
4.30 Maxxum (NB)
5.00 Snow Punt
5.30 Kaiser De Chanay
6.00 One To Witness
6.30 Ode to Joy
7.00 Gino Bella (Nap)
7.30 World As One
4.30 Dee Capo
5.00 Baldur's Gate
5.30 Lord Of The Locke
6.00 Dooks
6.30 Might Be The One
7.00 Our Uncle Jack
7.30 High Kick Kev
