Not long now until Cheltenham but there’s still some decent domestic action to take care of in Co Kildare today. I’ve got five rides and the ground should be decent for racing.
Paddy’s got a brilliant money back special for the festival released last night.
2.10 Novice Hurdle 2m
I ride Royal Caviar in the opener at Naas and he’s a fighting chance. He finished second to Ball D’Arc at Punchestown last time so the 2m trip suits but we’re maybe a couple of pounds wrong with the top-weight Attribution.
Burgas was given a mark of 125 by the English handicapper but Bryan Cooper has elected to ride him ahead of Attribution.
We’ll see who’s right but it’s a competitive-looking race.
2.40 Novice S’chase 2m 4f
Tell Us More looked like he was going to win at Navan the last day until he fell two fences out. The return to a left-handed track will suit him as should the 2m 4f trip as he won a point-to-point over three miles.
But Mouse Morris’s Rule the World is a very good horse and has been threatening to win a race for a long time now. He must be the highest-rated maiden over fences in Ireland.
It looks a match between these two.
3.10 H’cap Hurdle 2m 3f
Bamako Moriviere was third to Dicosimo at Limerick in December but then ran no race when pulled up behind Henry Higgins in the Coral Hurdle at Leopardstown a month later.
We found no excuses for that run. The trip should suit but he needs to be better to get involved here and hasn’t got any Festival entries.
JP McManus has three in the race and Barry Geraghty has opted for Fairly Legal trained by Robert Tyner with Mark Walsh aboard A Great View. But Barry hasn’t gotten it wrong when faced with the choice recently.
- Gallop over to our latest racing odds here
4:10 Maiden Hurdle 3m
Call It Magic will be hard to beat here if reproducing the form of his last run when second to Fairly Legal over 2m 3f in a maiden hurdle here.
How Fairly Legal performs in the preceding race should give us a better idea of our chances here but the step up to 3m should suit Call It Magic too.
He could be a really good chaser next year.
Noel Meade saddles Naas bumper winner A Genie In Abottle who looks the main danger.
5:10 Mares Flat Race 2m
Patrick Mullins is suspended so Edward Monfort takes over on Good Thyne Tara. She won on here debut at Limerick before finishing third to Avellino at Fairyhouse.
Edward has been at Willie’s for a few months and is due to return to France after Cheltenham. This would be a nice way for him to sign off from his time in Ireland.