Courtly Conduct can end long wait

RACING:Curragh trainer Mark Roper hasn't had a winner in over 1,500 days and his hope, Courtly Conduct, will have to beat a Willie Mullins favourite to alter that in the first at Limerick today. But the seven-year-old can pull it off.

Mullins’s horse, Mr Groocock is a bumper winner but was struggling on his jumping debut at Wexford when exiting at the second last.  The ex-Kevin Prendergast-trained Captainofthefleet makes his debut over flights.

Courtly Conduct brings some of the best jumping form having returned to action with two good recent efforts. The first was a third to Clonbanan Lad and Operating at Punchestown and Courtly Conduct was bang there on the turn-in subsequently when fifth to Bright New Dawn at Fairyhouse.

A drop back to the minimum distance could help and the Roper hope can make his jumping experience tell.

The Day Two feature is the €40,000 Tim Duggan Handicap Chase, a prize local trainer Michael Hourigan will be anxious to win with Hans Crescent.  The blinkered runner isn’t well handicapped but has the good claimer Mark Enright on his back and showed a return to some form last time at Clonmel behind Code Of The West.

Enda Bolger’s triple point-to-point winner Near Perfection goes in the hunters chase while Billybuster gets weight all-round in the second of the handicap hurdles.

The high-quality conditions hurdle sees the reappearance of Prince de Beauchene. Philip Fenton rates his Wexford winner Venture Capital very highly but very soft conditions may favour Clonbanan Lad.

Sherika is 8lbs higher for a win at Gowran but can follow up today while Why Ask Me can go one better than her course second to Suntiep in the mares bumper.