Fadoudal Du Cochet looks good

There are no problems forecast for the all-hurdling card at Thurles today which should be good news for those who want to back Fadoudal Du Cochet in the INH Novices Hurdle.

The Thurles manager, Pierce Molony, reported that 50mm of rain had fallen on the track on Monday night but the hurdles course has escaped the fate of the steeplechases, which were abandoned on Monday.

"As of now we can race. 10mm of rain are expected tonight but I am confident racing will go ahead. No inspection is planned," Molony said yesterday.

On ground that will undoubtedly be very testing, any horse having to give weight away will face a hard task but Fadoudal Du Cochet looks up to it.

The Arthur Moore-trained sixyear-old is a winner at Cork already this season but it's his placed efforts that mark him out here. He was attempting a stiff task in taking on Limestone Lad and Sawa-Id at Navan last time out, but did have the smart Mariners Reef behind him. While last season he notched up a runner-up position to the high class Nomadic at Gowran.

The French-bred has some decent opposition, including the course winner, Le Ciel, and also the potentially decent Enda Bolger runner, Glacial Waters. However, Fadoudal Du Cochet should be able to cope.

The dividing of the opportunity handicap and the maiden hurdle should work out well for the McNamara training clan. Rathkeale-based Eric could have the solution to the opener in the shape of the consistent Rock Castle, on which Ray Hogan takes off a valuable couple of pounds.

Seventh to Marchaway in a decent contest at Punchestown, Rock Castle had placed form against lesser opposition previously, and this 0-95 handicap is hardly the type of race to frighten Rock Castle's supporters. Gillys Hope is nominated as the danger.

However, Kilmallock-based Andrew McNamara could have an even better day.

The second division of the opportunity handicap looks distinctly tricky, but Kanturk Girl didn't run a bad race behind Annie Cares at Cork in November and could make a winning first start for McNamara.

The trainer may also be on the mark with Mr Lundy, a Listowel bumper winner with placed form over flights, in the first division of the maiden; and if King's Tipp bounces back from a disappointing effort last time he will hard to beat in the bumper.

Paul Carberry will be anxious to atone for his horror lapse at Naas on Sunday and pick up some valuable winners before his suspension. Jonny Baby could supply one in the second part of the maiden, judged on an easy success in a Cork bumper in early December. The length and a half winning margin flattered the runner-up Vanilla Man and that kind of form, plus a motivated Carberry on his back, makes the combination hard to oppose.

The latter comment also look to apply to Tom Taaffe's The Ghan in the WT O'Grady Memorial Hurdle.