Faltering Fullback looks best

RACING:RUNNING OVER hurdles has proved a useful warm-up to Grand National success in the past and it can also work for Faltering Fullback in Limerick's weekend feature tomorrow.

A total of 16 will face the starter in the €80,000 Ladbrokes Munster National, including last year’s winner Golden Kite and the star mare For Bill who tops the handicap. Over a stone below her is Faltering Fullback, representing the local father and son team of Eric and Emmet McNamara, who returned from 15 months on the sidelines when running over hurdles at the Listowel festival.

It wouldn’t have required much longer for Faltering Fullback to have collared the hot favourite Pozyc on that occasion and it was certainly an encouraging performance for a horse that showed such promise as a novice. “He has given us plenty of problems in the past, but he seems to be over all of them and he’s in particularly good form at the moment,” said McNamara Snr yesterday. “He ran very well in Listowel, it was his first run in a long time and you’d like to think he’ll improve on that. We’re giving him a good each way chance.”

Just four line up for the Grade Three conditions chase and although Loosen My Load returned to action with a smooth win at Navan recently he does face a job on the ratings against the Welsh raider West With The Wind, who has been busy at Ffos Las through the summer.

There is free admission to the Curragh’s meeting of 2011 tomorrow where the feature is the €64,000 Hacketts Irish Cesarewitch. John Oxx runs both Dimona for the Aga Khan and Minsk, who has his first run for new owner Barry Connell after a pair of victories on the course over a mile and a half.

Both runs indicated a step up in trip will suit Minsk ideally and the three-year-old can secure a nice flat prize before embarking on a probable career over jumps.

It could be a profitable afternoon for the Oxx team as What A Charm should thrive on the likely testing ground conditions in the Finale Stakes, while Johnny Murtagh’s presence on the Oratorio newcomer Takar – one of five Oxx runners in the opening maiden – looks significant.

Dermot Weld’s Swerve was impressive in her maiden success at Listowel but will do well to cope with the Park Stakes runner-up Homecoming Queen who should relish the mile trip of the Listed fillies event.