Cloone River to take his chance despite weather

RACING/Roscommon preview: Cloone River will be the star attraction on show at Roscommon this afternoon even if the poor weather refuses to go away.

The Grade Three novice chase has long been the target for Cloone River's third start over fences but very testing conditions have never been in the horse's favour and the forecast is for "soft" ground.

Nevertheless, his trainer Paul Nolan said yesterday: "He will take his chance. There haven't been too many races run on the chase course at Roscommon this year and even though it will be testing he will run."

Nolan will walk the track beforehand and on the evidence of his two chase starts to date it is those conditions that present the greatest threat to Cloone River rather than anything in the opposition.

An effortless debut at Tralee was followed up by an ultra-smooth defeat of Always at Galway and if the horse is in the same form again today then not even the ground can stop his followers facing the winter and thinking of the Arkle Trophy.

Devious Diva found John Ellis too good for her at Listowel but Kevin Prendergast's filly acted on the testing going that day and the fourth, Mermaid Island, won at Thurles last Thursday. She can break her maiden in the opener.

Aidan O'Brien and Jamie Spencer send Napoleon west with the same task in mind in the second division of the mile-and-a-

quarter maiden and Masrahi partnered by Mick Kinane could be the solution to the first part.

Ruby Walsh teams up with Dermot Weld for the ride on Zeroberto in the novice hurdle and the Galway festival winner can get the better of the Mick Fitzgerald ridden Royal Paradise.