With an early morning inspection planned and plenty of rain forecast on Thursday afternoon Clonmel will be very testing if it does get the go ahead.
Experience will be important if they do race and Innatendue can gain a deserved win in the mares maiden hurdle, where she takes a drop in class.
The John McConnell-trained mare was mid-division in the competitive Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival when last seen in early February.
She had made a couple of visits to Cheltenham previously this winter, the best of those being a narrow defeat there in November in a maiden hurdle.
That was her fifth placed effort over timber and her early form was very strong, with a runner-up effort in Grade 2 company a couple of years ago as a juvenile.
She hasn’t quite progressed from that but has still shown enough lately to give her the winning of a race of this standard.
Despite slipping a few pounds to an official mark of 115 she still sets a decent standard in this race and looks the one they have to beat.
Having won a French bumper she has to carry a penalty in this as does Lady Bluebird, who looks like the potential danger.
She was a bumper winner at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve and ran with promise when fifth behind a smart mare in Bioluminescence on her jumps debut at the same course in late January.
With that run under her belt she’s entitled to play a bigger part now in this company.
Willie Mullins should bag a few winners on the card.
Maroto is another who faces an easier task now in the preceding two-mile maiden hurdle.
The Sholokhov gelding shaped with promise when sixth on his belated debut at Fairyhouse in January and was in fifth place when falling behind stablemate Milo Lises at Punchestown the following month.
This looks like a nice opportunity to get his head in front now.
Only five go to post in the beginners chase and Spanish Harlem should prove hard to beat.
The Spanish Moon gelding has been third in all three outings over fences and it was a good run behind Saint Felicien at Gowran last time.
In the concluding bumper Ballygunner Castle can build on a very promising debut run at Thurles in mid-February.
The Soldier Of Fortune gelding stayed on well to the line when third to stablemate Coco Masterpiece and looked like he would only improve from that initial experience.
SELECTION NEXT BEST
4.03: Jasmin De Cotte Wee Charlie
4.38: Spanish Harlem Duffle Coat
5.13: Robinstown Mick Charlie
5.48: Maroto (dbl) Zulu Mike
6.18: Innatendue (nap) Lady Bluebird
6.48: Lilian Bland Tingarran Express
7.18: Ballygunner Castle Bleu De Vassy
