With big brother Paul recuperating from a hunting fall with the Ward Union Staghounds last Friday, Philip Carberry could grab the Powers Ulster National at Downpatrick today aboard All But, who gets weight from all but one of the field. This extended distance may be what he needs.
As for the prime danger, we have reached the first of March, and the Smurfit Champion Hurdle is now exactly two weeks away. JP McManus, dreaming of an Istabraq hat-trick, would take it as a good omen if Section Seven were to win this feature event.
Section Seven has top weight to carry even if he has not managed to win a race since the 1998 Leopardstown Christmas meeting. To be fair to him, though, he did finish in the first four in four of his seven outings last year.
The opposition to All But and Section Seven also includes Slavica , and this is a competitor that was a popular banker in this contest last year when Jameson's had the sponsorship. Then some punters could not afford to drown the sorrows in the sponsors produce, for they sent Slavica off an odds-on favourite and he went down to defeat behind Brian's Delight.
Philip Fenton takes over from Pat Colville on Derryvella Lad in the hunters' chase.
Colville had the ride at Wexford when the horse was a 16 to 1 down to 5 to 1 gamble and delivered by a 15l-margin from from My Belief and Mandy Chat. Edward O'Grady had taken over the training a month before and it was rare to find bookmakers taking that sort of liberty with one of his horses.
Another horse making a long journey north is Clonmel Commercial as the Dick Donohoe stables are at Gowran. When the Turf Club issued the preliminary list of jockeys at 10.30 yesterday morning Kieran Gaule was nominated for this ride. However, he is not in action here and Barry Geraghty was substituted at noon.
Clonmel Commercial was a satisfactory second to Hazarfen at Tramore last month and is napped to beat Arthur Moore's Pahrbeitfrome in the Ballygowan Kitchen Beginners Chase. He in his turn was placed at long odds at Punchestown behind Valley Erne.
Pat Hughes has had a couple of recent reverses, but Grinkov should put the stable back on song in the maiden hurdle, sponsored by the on-course bookmakers. He has been placed in both his hurdle runs so far in races won respectively by two smart horses, John Magical and Minella Hotel.
