ALAMEIN is out to make amends for his Punchestown Festival departure in the Supporters Club Guest Evening Hurdle at Clonmel tonight.
Mouse Morris’s six-year-old had given his supporters a big run for their money and was still in there approaching the straight when finding himself tight for room and stumbling, unseating David Mullins in the process.
That race was a €25k novice hurdle won by Koshari. Alamein faces nothing of that calibre here, although Archive, also in the Gigginstown livery, ran in the Royal Bond last term and Princely Conn was third in that same Fairyhouse Grade One the season before.
Archive is very much the one to beat here, however, despite a sulky run at Downpatrick in March and a less than edifying effort behind Henry Higgins in a Leopardstown handicap before that.
Cliffside Park reverts from fences on the back of a decent Tramore second to Unic De Bersy and might be expected to run well. Archive (Cooper) may well beat Alamein (Rachael Blackmore).
Tramore handicap chase winner Wither Hills made the switch back to hurdles at Kilbeggan when fourth behind Flaviana but there was still enough encouragement in his effort and he is one for the shortlist in the first of the four handicap hurdles on the eight-race card.
Eric The Third is on a hat-trick but hasn’t been seen since October, whereas Walkabout reappears less than a week after hitting the crossbar at Kilbeggan, when he was a couple of positions ahead of Wither Hills and runs here off the same mark. The four-year-old goes up 4lb to 108 in futures so now might be the time to catch him.
Walkabout’s stable companion Urtheoneiwant went under by just half-a-length last time and tries to go one better off a 3lb higher figure in the three-mile handicap hurdle. Kevin Sexton rode him in Tramore and keeps the mount here but the fact that Jack Kennedy rides Phangio for Colin Bowe is interesting.
Noel Meade’s four-year-old Night Generation and the gambled-on Tramore winner Oisin James are another pair to consider.
Henry de Bromhead’s Simiel made a pleasing start to his jumping career on his return from a lay-off at Tramore when third to Penhill and attempts to build on that in the Clonacody Maiden Hurdle.
He had the re-opposing Racing Again two-and-a-half lengths behind him that day and should again emerge in front. Black Warrior, if the market speaks in his favour, would be the danger to all.
The action gets under way with a maximum 18-runner field for a mares’ maiden hurdle. A decidedly moderate contest but with at least 10 of them holding chances of some sort or another. Colin Bowe has a good hand with Sarah Joyce and Tranquil Magic but I’d prefer the likes of Belle Fortune, Goodthynemilan and Cheltenham Mati.
The Sliabh Na mBan Handicap Hurdle has been divided, and recent Tramore runner-up Scenic Star sets the standard in the first division ahead of Wilde ‘N Wide and Island Villa, with Tighe Beithe possibly worthy of a little interest in the second half against such as Keyfield and Dusty Heights.
