Deutschland scrapes in for Hurdle

Racing: Willie Mullins' Deutschland, ante-post favourite for tomorrow's Arthur Guinness Galway Hurdle, has scraped into the …

Racing:Willie Mullins' Deutschland, ante-post favourite for tomorrow's Arthur Guinness Galway Hurdle, has scraped into the 20-runner field.

A winner on the level, over hurdles and over fences, the six-year-old was last seen striking on the all-weather at Dundalk earlier in the month. The Mullins family are strongly represented. Tom Mullins' duo of Fosters Cross and Time Electric have been declared, along with the Tony Mullins-trained Decoy Daddy.

Joanna Morgan's Raise Your Heart has been left at the head of the weights following the withdrawal of the Paul Nicholls-trained Sporazene. Paul Nolan's Cuan Na Grai, a former winner of the race, is joined in the line-up by stablemate See U Bob.

Vital Plot, trained Dermot Weld, also has major claims, while Noel Meade runs Fisher Bridge and Silverhand. Fingers, a winner of four of his last five races for Kevin O'Brien, and the Tony Martin pair of Northern Alliance and Stage Manager are other intriguing contenders.

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Northern Alliance has been pulled out of the Plate, while Stage Manager won at the meeting last season but would prefer much better ground than which he is likely to encounter.

"Stage Manager won well last year, but that was on good ground. He has won over course and distance so two miles is fine and he is in good heart. But as he is not an over-big horse, he is far better on better ground. It was soft ground when he ran at Fairyhouse and it was far too soft for him," said Martin.

Last year's winner Indian Pace will have the assistance of Paul Townend and warmed up to defend his title by finishing 10th on the Flat on Monday, in the same race he used as a prep 12 months ago. The last back-to-back winner was Pinch Hitter in 1982-83.

"It was slightly disappointing that the gallop wasn't better on Monday and I am hoping that it will be stronger in the Hurdle," said trainer John Kiely. "His best surface is just good ground, but he is fine after Monday's race."