Kevin Blake
1:55 MALLOW MAIDEN HURDLE 2M
A modest maiden hurdle to kick off proceedings and a good opportunity for the Willie Mullins-trained Poker Gold to make a winning hurdling debut. The four-year-old is rated 71 on the flat and won a handicap at Dundalk in February. He is sure to have been well schooled and won’t need to be a star in the making to win this well. A solid alternative to the selection is the Christy Roche-trained The Living Beauty, with the daughter of Yeats having taken a step forward when a modest second to Sam Red at Navan last time.
Selection: POKER GOLD
Next Best: The Living Beauty
2:30 CORKMAN MARES MAIDEN HURDLE 2M
This could well see the Robert Tyner-trained A Hardy Nailer make it fourth-time lucky over hurdles. The six-year-old has already won a point-to-point and a bumper and has gone close in a couple of maiden hurdles. The form she showed when a close second to Arctic Skipper at Naas last time looks to be good enough to win a contest of this standard. The pick of her rivals looks to be the Willie Austin-trained Emcon, with the six-year-old having shown plenty of promise in her four starts over hurdles.
Selection: A HARDY NAILER
Next Best: Emcon
3:00 MUNSTER WASTE MANAGEMENT HANDICAP HURDLE (80-116) 2M
The Harry Kelly-trained Curragh Na Gold is given the nod. The six-year-old got off the mark in a handicap hurdle at Clonmel in March and acquitted herself well in a Grade 3 novice hurdle at Limerick 10 days later. She appeals as being well handicapped and could well make a winning return to handicap company. A solid alternative is the Seamus Fahey-trained Black Ice, as he comes into this in solid form.
Selection: CURRAGH NA GOLD
Next Best: Black Ice
3:30 EASTER HANDICAP HURDLE (GRADE C) (0-140) 2M 3F
The Eric McNamara-trained Irish Bulletin looks to have solid prospects. The five-year-old got off the mark over hurdles at the ninth time of asking in a maiden at Limerick’s Christmas meeting and had previously shown plenty of promise in handicap company. He appears as being fairly handicapped and could well make a winning return from a break. An interesting alternative is the Enda Bolger-trained Federici, with the six-year-old making his return to hurdling off an 8lb lower mark than he has over fences.
Selection: IRISH BULLETIN
Next Best: Federici
4:00 DERMOT CASEY TREE CARE MAIDEN HURDLE 3M
The Gordon Elliott-trained Speed Demon has been something of a frustration over hurdles so far, but this is perhaps his best opportunity yet to get off the mark. Officially rated 118 after six starts over timber, his latest second to High Stratos at Navan reads well in the context of this race and a repeat of that would be enough to see him win this. The best of the rest is the John Joe Walsh-trained Positive Approach, who went close in a maiden hurdle at Limerick last time.
Selection: SPEED DEMON
Next Best: Positive Approach
4:35 IMPERIAL CALL CHASE (GRADE 3) 3M
While he is perhaps not the most reliable of propositions, the Willie Mullins-trained On His Own very much stands out at this level and is likely to prove very difficult to beat. A short-head second in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, the pick of his efforts this year was his second to Road To Riches in the Lexus Chase. If he runs to anything approaching that level in this, it is difficult to see him being beaten. His main rival is undoubtedly the Gordon Elliott-trained Roi Du Mee, with the prolific 10-year-old having won his last three starts including the Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in February.
Selection: ON HIS OWN
Next Best: Roi De Mee
5:10 IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF BEGINNERS CHASE 2M 4F
Much of the focus in this race is sure to be on the Willie Mullins-trained Tennis Cap on his second start over fences. Rated 145 over hurdles, he finished second in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2013, but he missed almost two years of action until making a somewhat disappointing return to action in a maiden chase at Naas last month. He is entitled to come on from that and won’t need to be back to his best to win this. A solid alternative to him is the Liz Doyle-trained Rafi De Triana, with the 10-year-old having acquired an abundance of experience over fences and boasting an official rating of 116.
Selection: TENNIS CAP
Next Best: Rafi De Triana
5:40 CORKRACECOURSE.IE (PRO/AM) FLAT RACE 2M 3F
Those that have run on the track haven’t set the world alight, so the eye is drawn to the Ross O’Sullivan-trained Call It Magic. The five-year-old ran out the impressive winner of a point-to-point at Oldcastle in February and that form gives him strong prospects of making a winning racecourse debut in this. Of those that have run on the track, the Jimmy Mangan-trained Shady Rondo makes the most appeal.
Selection: CALL IT MAGIC
Next Best: Shady Rondo