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3.40: SPECIALIST JOINERY GROUP HANDICAP HURDLE (88-123). 2m.
Owner J.P. McManus has two very interesting contenders here. Top weight Ena Baie was a modest winner for Harry Fry before moving to join Conor O'Dwyer. She caught the eye when a distant fourth in a conditions hurdle earlier this month. She was raised 2lb for that effort but that is more than compensated for by Jordan Gainford’s 7lb claim. McManus also owns Golf Marin, trained by Tony Martin. This half-brother to Riviere D'etel was an eyecatcher when fifth in a maiden hurdle in January.
Selection: ENA BAIE Next best: GOLF MARIN
4.15: PIGSBACK.COM HANDCAP CHASE (Grase B). 2m.
J.P. McManus again has a strong hand here, with four runners, all of whom have their chances. One of the four, Sully D’oc Aa, is British-trained and gets the vote. Following a wind operation, this horse has enjoyed a decent season, winning a good chase at Ascot in October and finishing a good second in a competitive two-mile handicap chase at Aintree. The stiffer finish here will suit trainer Anthony Honeyball’s charge. Entoucas has an obvious chance, based on his second place finish in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham, where he was a bit unlucky. His stable companion Top Moon will be a big price here after pulling up in the Irish National, but the return to two miles will suit him. Willie Mullins is having a brilliant week and his Unexcepted remains unexposed having failed to make the grade in top company. Another to consider is Paloma Blue, who was reported “never travelling and coughing” after a poor run in November.
Selection: SULLY D’OC AA Next best: PALOMA BLUE
4.50: MONGEY COMMUNICATIONS LA TOUCHE CUP CROSS COUNTRY CHASE. 4m 2f (banks).
Enda Bolger is usually the safest bet for this unique test and his two runners Stand Up And Fight and Blue Templar command plenty of respect. However, John McConnell’s Some Neck looks sure to run a big race. He has placed form around this course, has won a similar event at Cheltenham, and finished a very respectable third to Tiger Roll and Easysland (off level weights) in the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last month. I don’t think either of the Bolger runners could have finished as close.
Selection: SOME NECK. Next best: STAND UP AND FIGHT
5.25: LADBROKES CHAMPION STAYERS HURDLE (Grade 1). 3m.
The most popular result here would be an all-the-way win for Flooring Porter, with Jonathan Moore on board. Moore missed the horse’s big win at Cheltenham due to injury. We still don’t know the limit of Flooring Porter’s ability, so the partnership must have an outstanding chance here.
However, there are a couple of other front-runners in the line-up, such as the long-absent Klassical Dream and the unexposed Sole Pretender. For once, Flooring Porter won’t be underestimated this time.
Willie Mullins runs four but Paul Townend is not on any of them, which is a concern if you are thinking of backing any of them. French import James Du Berlais is easily the most attractive of the Mullins quartet. He was a top horse in France and can be forgiven his Champion Hurdle flop over a much shorter trip.
Ronald Pump has a big chance. Runner-up in the 2020 Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, he has not been seen since giving the great Honeysuckle a fright in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Cheltenham. He has missed a couple of engagement since but goes well fresh.
Two Cheltenham Festival handicap winners, Heaven Help Us and Mrs Milner, are on the hunt for Grade 1 blacktype here but it won’t be easy.
Selection: RONALD PUMP Next best: JAMES DU BERLAIS
6.00: CONWAY PILING HANDICAP HURDLE (Grade B). 3m.
A very open-looking race. Pure Genius could start favourite but he has struggled in handicap company before while looking good against inferiors. Top weight Floeuer caught the eye when third in the Martin Pipe at Cheltenham and a first-time tongue tie could bring about a little bit more improvement. The more exposed Dallas Des Pictons finished fifth in that Cheltenham race and is worth a small each-way wager.
Capodanno and Ragnar Lodbrook finished fourth and sixth respectively in a three-mile novice handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse in which it paid to held up off the pace. Ragnar Lodbrook did too much too soon in that contest and could be the value play here.
Rhythm Divine was only an 11/2 chance for a Grade 1 race at Fairyhouse in which she was pulled up. Previously she looked a progressive handicap hurdler and could bounce back here.
An interesting outsider is Colm Murphy’s Botani, who got up late to win a competitive 2m 3f handicap hurdle on good ground earlier this month. The runner-up Zoffanien has since won.
Selection: FLOUEUR Next best: RAGNAR LODBROOK
6.35: RYANAIR NOVICE CHASE (Grade 1). 2m.
Paul Townend comes off the bench for the ride on Energumene and it should be a straightforward task for the odds-on favourite. Forced to miss Cheltenham due to a minor setback, Energumene had previously won all three of his chases by wide margins, including the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown. Captain Guinness is a bit of a tearaway and went too fast for his own good at Cheltenham. He had been challenging Energumene when he fell three out at Leopardstown in February and remains a threat at this level. Janidil is a Grade 1 winner but that was over two and a half miles at Fairyhouse. He will find this tougher. Embittered (due to run here Wednesday evening) would be a lively outsider, having been sent off favourite for the Grand Annual Chase at Cheltenham but an early faller in that race, in which his stable companion Entoucas went on to finish second.
Selection: ENERGUMENE Next best: CAPTAIN GUINNESS
7.05: CLOSE BROTHERS MARES NOVICE HURDLE (Listed). 2m.
Magic Daze ran an extraordinary race at Cheltenham, finishing a remarkable second to stable companion Telmesomethinggirl after racing very keenly throughout. She could very well run them into the ground here if she manages to use her energy efficiently. She gets 3lb from listed race winner Gauloise who might be inconvenienced by the return to two miles here, having finished a close second to Skyace in a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse over two and a half miles. Stable companion Hook Up was third in that race and, like Magic Daze, she looks another tricky lady who could let herself down by either racing too freely or making jumping errors. The Navan maiden hurdle won recently by Bigbadandbeautiful was ordinary but this mare arguably has better finishing speed than any of her opponents and could surprise here if her jumping holds up.
Selection: BIGBADANDBEAUTIFUL Next best: GAULOISE
7.35: GRANT THORNTON INH FLAT RACE. 2m.
A really decent winners’ bumper to round off proceedings. Many will automatically row in with Patrick Mullins’ mount Dysart Dynamo, who was a well-backed debut winner of a modest Clonmel bumper last month. They might be proved right but there are at least six others in the field who have achieved as much, if not more. Mullins rode Grand Jury to win a point-to-point bumper impressively at this track in March. Jamie Codd now takes over on Grand Jury and the two top amateurs will be watching each other closely. John McConnell’s Bardenstown Lad was also impressive in winning a point-to-point bumper but steps down in trip here. Ever Present surprised connections when he won a warm bumper here in October and he ran well for a long way when a moderate fourth in a winners’ race in December. He was well beaten in a Grade 2 race in February but he is bred to prefer good ground. Forged In Fire once defeated the top class Ferny Hollow but has struggled since and now wears a tongue tie. Glen Wyllin was a surprise winner of a Ballinrobe bumper earlier this month. A big horse, he looked unsuited to Ballinrobe’s tight bends and should enjoy this more galloping track.
Selection: GRAND JURY Next best: EVER PRESENT
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