Limestone Lad will insure there is no hanging about when he clashes with Le Coudray at Navan today, and punters cannot afford to hang around either with the clash happening in the very first race.
The course manager Richard Lyttle yesterday agreed that normally such a highlight would result in the contest being moved further up the card but in the middle of December and the ground riding heavy, the norm can often change.
"We are trying to give these horses the best of the ground, and mindful of the number of runners and the fact that we are racing again in a week, we decided to leave the race where it is. We are just honoured to have such good horses running here," Lyttle said.
Limestone Lad and Le Coudray are indeed very good horses, and in the former case especially, remarkable. James Bowe's seven-year-old has caught the public imagination with his rate of improvement in the last 12 months, and Limestone Lad's defeat of the champion Istabraq attracted even more attention and publicity to the Co Kilkenny farmer.
Despite the presence of Istabraq's stablemate Le Coudray today, it looks well worth betting that the 66-year-old trainer will be engulfed by even more media attention in the winner's enclosure.
The pair have already clashed over the course and distance in October, when Le Coudray won smoothly by three lengths. There are sound reasons for believing it will be different now.
For instance, although Limestone Lad is now 3lb worse off, he seems to jump much more freely for Shane McGovern, a consideration that was fully shown in his Fairyhouse defeat of Istabraq. Two and a half miles also appears to be his ideal trip and in this kind of ground the best place to be is usually the front, whereas Le Coudray's style is to quicken. He will do extremely well to quicken past Limestone Lad this time.
The opener may be the highlight but the most valuable race is the £25,000 Barry & Sandra Kelly Novice Hurdle. However, despite giving weight away, it does look to be very much an Oa Baldixe show.
The French Group Three winner has started to pay off his £150,000 price tag with two impressive victories at Fairyhouse, and last time out here over two and a half miles when he put 11 easy lengths between himself and Lord Of The Turf. On both occasions he jumped soundly and it will be a surprise if Oa Baldixe doesn't make it three in a row.
Another fascinating contest on a very fine card is the novice chase, although it is somewhat spoiled by the likely absence of Native Upmansip. Willie Mullins runs the weight-conceding It's Time For A Win, Noel Meade has Sallie's Girl and Francis Flood has obvious claims with To Your Honour, a last-fence faller when a close second to Alexander Banquet at Fairyhouse. Sallie's Girl was disappointing on that occasion but is worth another chance. Meade, the season's leading trainer, can end the day on the 37 mark, with Arctic Copper given the nod in the bumper.
