Lightly-weighted Best World still a decent option

Sunday's Irish Previews:Best World could be the one to profitably wave goodbye to 2006 when Tony Martin sends his lightly-weighted horse to Punchestown tomorrow for the two-mile handicap chase.

There will be some who will look at Best World and shiver slightly as his three runs this season have proven to be expensive for a lot of people.

A 25 to 1 SP at Naas in October testified to how many were on the horse when he came up trumps that day. Then, when he was confidently expected to follow up at Downpatrick, he only made the third fence before exiting.

That didn't stop punters piling into Best World again when he ran at Cork but despite starting an evens favourite, the half brother to the Triumph Hurdle winner Katarino never got in a blow behind his stable companion, Farmer Grant.

After that race however, the horse was found to be blowing hard, almost as hard as some of his fans, and in the full of his health he still looks a decent option in a race that could be wide open to Best World carrying 10.3.

Willie Mullins's string hit a rich vein of form through the Christmas period and it could be worth backing that that tide will carry the former smart bumper horse Ballytrim to a first success over fences in the Beginners Chase.

For a former point-to-point winner, Ballytrim's two chase starts to date have been very disappointing, never getting a blow in at Thurles behind Letterman and managing only fourth to Mcevoy here earlier this month.

Up against him tomorrow will be Back To Bid who fell in that same Mcevoy race and Heads Onthe Ground whose last start was in the cross-country race at Cheltenham.

JP McManus owns the top three in the seven-runner conditions hurdle and with no-show by the top mare Asian Maze, that looks to leave a very good opportunity for the Cheltenham festival winner Kadoun.

Michael O'Brien's horse was 50 to 1 when landing the Pertemps last March but his official rating of 145, plus a nice run behind Lounaos in the November Handicap, indicates he will challenge the former Pierse Hurdle winner Studmaster in the betting.

Some smart flat types make their jumping debuts in the juvenile hurdle but the best of them could be Barry Geraghty's mount Shazand, a winner on heavy ground in France, and also Stakes placed there.

A clear ratings pick at Tramore will be Holly Tree who chased home the Christmas Hurdle winner Jazz Messenger on his last start at Thurles. He has proved expensive to follow in the past though and Earth Magic could be the one to upset the odds.

So Many Questions had a hard task at Downpatrick when chasing home the subsequent dramatic Limerick winner Clarnazar but could have to settle for the runner-up spot again behind Lemonfield who returned to action with a good effort to be second to Pontium at Thurles.

Local trainer John Kiely is always a man to fear around Tramore and Howaboutthis looks to have a first-rate chance in the bumper based on a fine effort behind The Hoodoo Remains at Listowel. Rosamio is a double course winner and that liking for the track will be a big help in the handicap chase while Hard To Get Ten's 108 rating is hard to argue with in the Beginners Chase.