Win or lose, almost all of the leading Irish riders in the Grand National will be back in action at Tramore tomorrow.
Ruby Walsh was due to travel down for just one mount, Tennis Cap in the €30,000 Listed Chase, but that has to be very doubtful after he suffered a hairline fracture in his wrist at Aintree yesterday.
Tennis Cap will still have strong claims in a race where he’s opposed by Galway Plate winner Shanahan’s Turn, as well as veteran Rubi Light.
Shanahan’s Turn was beaten a long way at Cheltenham behind Un Temps Pour Tout in one of the handicap chases and simply doesn’t appear to enjoy the racing game anymore.
This place might just enliven him.
Tennis Cap has been showing plenty of form, winning at Cork and placing twice at Thurles behind Lord Scoundrel and Smashing. Either of those efforts would suffice here.
Federici might chase him home. King Blue didn’t seem all that keen when coming off second-best to Mtada Supreme at Clonmel recently.
A few tasty bets under discussion ahead of the Grand National
He only went under by a neck but it should have been the other way round.
Another chance awaits in the Graun Hill Handicap Chase in which it is difficult to find anything to oppose him with.
Our Boy Ben is a fully exposed chaser from the north of England but has his chance at this level now he’s with Gordon Elliott.
Final Gift hasn’t run since tailed off in one of Punchestown’s cross-country races at the end of January and Davy Russell rides him again in the Directors Handicap Chase.
Gowran faller Garrai Phaidin has bits of form to merit consideration. He was a fortuitous, wide-margin winner from Notification at Thurles when left clear by the last fence fall of Milanesque.
Off The Charts needs a return to form to score. The maiden hurdles are not difficult.
In the two-mile opener, Let Her Cry gets a useful 8lb from both Kayf Hampshire and Peace N’ Milan. She holds the former on a Limerick run behind Miss Me Now and has more to fear from Peace N’ Milan, a Navan fourth behind Msmilan last time.
In the two-mile-five-furlong maiden, Dontbackme, runner-up to Lofgren at Downpatrick, is the more attractive in what appears a match against Sizing Alberta, absent since disappointing behind For Freddie at Clonmel before Christmas.
That was the race with a farcical start that badly inconvenienced Sizing Alberta.
Nina Carberry returns from her Cheltenham-induced suspension and it should be a successful one with The Storyteller boasting a different level of form in two outings at Navan and Down Royal.
