JUST the five runners go to post for the Roscommon Rated Novice Hurdle on Tuesday – but all bar one of them have won on their most recent outing.
Childrens List represents Willie Mullins and Ruby Walsh and landed the odds at Tramore, albeit with slightly less in hand than perhaps many had imagined beforehand.
Barry Geraghty’s mount Riviera Sun steps up in distance after striking over two miles here, while Sea’s Aria made an impressive start to his jumping career at Clonmel.
Ibsen has plenty of experience and has won two of his last three starts, and even though Off The Mark failed to beat a rival home at Ballinrobe, he must enter the equation if judged instead on his previous successful comeback at Kilbeggan.
Childrens List is best treated at the adjusted weights and the race he won at Tramore hasn’t turned out to be too bad.
Runner-up Ballinaboola Prince went on to win at Wexford while the fourth home, Nautical Nitwit, was successful at Bellewstown on Saturday night. This looks a good opportunity for him and he can prove too strong for Riviera Sun.
The majority of the remaining races have attracted maximum fields and the consistent Little Haarth, second on three of his four starts over hurdles to date will be hard to overcome in the opening maiden hurdle. He filled the runner-up spot on his last outing at Gowran with subsequent Wexford winner Fearachain back in fourth.
Tigris River is an interesting contender for Aidan O’Brien. He won a one-mile-six-furlong Killarney maiden last July and had a Flat rating of 88.
This is his hurdling debut, and he is sure to be well-schooled over hurdles and can be expected to go close.
Other interesting contenders include Tony Martin’s Beau Et Sublime and Barry Connell’s French import Adimelo. The son of Honolulu won three times and was bought for €150,000 at Arqana last November.
Luke Dempsey has a deal more experience than most of the opposing riders in the Martinstown Opportunity Maiden Hurdle and has a plum ride on Cecil Corbett for Gordon Elliott. Deputy’s Pass and Badgerfort are just two of the dangers in this 18-runner field.
There are only two handicaps on the card – one worse than the other.
Duckweed was touched off by the reopposing From Frost at Gowran Park last month but renews rivalry in the Leo Dolan Memorial Handicap Hurdle on better terms.
From Frost’s undoubted progress in the interim has looked significant and he gets the nod. But the likes of last month’s Tipperary winner Steel King, subsequently fourth here behind Cape Glory, and Ballychorus, reverting back to hurdles after a successful sortie up to Down Royal for a beginners’ chase, have serious chances.
There isn’t a great deal of recent winning form to go on in the 80-95 Athlone Handicap Hurdle but last year’s victor He Is Top Class is back for more, and with current winning form in short supply in this race he must have a chance again.
Kilmainham has his opportunity and there’d be possibilities about Annie Alainn and Comedy Club.
Aidan O’Brien will be hoping that Kalopsia can make it third time lucky in the lady riders mares’ bumper the after hitting the crossbar at Limerick and Down Royal, and the Ballydoyle maestro has chosen the two-mile-four-furlong bumper as the starting point for €66,000 purchase Aqua Traverse.
