Brandy Love is the star name on show at Wexford tonight where she is likely to be a short price in the mares’ beginners’ chase on the card.
The Grade One-winning hurdler has only run five times since that top level success in the mares’ novice contest at Fairyhouse in April 2022.
She failed to make a mark, but was far from disgraced, in open mares company the following season including finishing fifth to the great Honeysuckle at Cheltenham last year.
On her two chase starts this season she has been turned over at short prices and it was a disappointing effort to lose out to stablemate Night And Day when sent off at odds of 1/4 in Naas in January.
Both her outings over fences have come in very testing conditions, though, and it looks significant that she has been on the sidelines until the ground started to dry up.
This is a real drop in class now for the Jet Away mare and she should prove a different level to these rivals. On all known form she’s a fair bit superior.
The admiral front-runner Doyen Ta Win ran well on her chase debut when third at Tramore the other day and is a previous winner around here. She could give her the most to do, especially if afforded an easy lead.
Obviously Brandy Love isn’t going to be much of a betting proposition and R’evelyn Pleasure makes more appeal in that regard in the following veterans’ handicap chase.
He won this race a couple of years ago and comes into the two-mile-three contest in decent form.
The Sean O’Brien-trained gelding ran well over the minimum trip at Cork at the start of this month and remains on the same mark.
Stepping back up to this sort of distance should suit now and he looks to have solid claims.
Shadow Rider tops the weights in the €21,000 contest and it will be interesting to see how he takes to fences again having recaptured form over timber in recent months.
Philip Rothwell has his string in flying form and Plain Or Battered could give him another winner in the three-mile handicap hurdle.
He bumped into a well handicapped rival in Tankardstown Diva at Down Royal last time and has a feather-weight in Thursday’s race.
SELECTION NEXT BEST
4.05: Grooveykindoflove Gina Moon
4.40: Jeriko De Baune Themanintheboots
5.15: Plain Or Battered (Dbl) Tranquil Sea
5.50: Chiefs Kingdom Clear The Clouds
6.22: Brandy Love Doyen Ta Win
6.52: R’evelyn Pleasure (Nap) Shadow Rider
7.22: Royal Hollow Holly Brook