JOCKEY Johnny Murtagh, currently sharing second position in the flat jockeys championship with Michael Kinane behind Kevin Manning, looks the man to follow at this evening's Bellewstown meeting.
His mount in the MacDermott Communications Handicap, Ardlea House, has proved a costly failure in the past but may be worth supporting on the strength of his two-length second to Bolero Dancer at Dundalk last month.
Murtagh also partners Bolero Dancer in the Shotfirers Handicap and the Shareef Dancer gelding should complete a four-timer. Gold Wind, who beat Love Heart by a couple of lengths at Roscommon, looks the danger.
Bob The Yank is a consistent sort and may be the answer to a tricky looking Tayto Growers Handicap Hurdle. A winner of a Clonmel handicap hurdle last month, the six-year-old only lost out by the minimum margin to Katiymann at Tipperary last time out and looks nicely treated on 10st 11lbs.
The Anglo Printers Handicap looks a very moderate affair and looks at the mercy of Aidan O'Brien's Best Before Dawn, who was fourth of the 12 runners behind Aine's Pet at the Curragh recently.
Noel Meade can keep up his tremendous national hunt strike-rate at this venue with Wesperada in the opening Potato Protection Novice Hurdle. The four-year-old was a neck winner from dead-heaters Fly Rosey and Fresh Deal at Gowran Park last week and looks to have Spanky, a 10-length winner from Earp at Wexford, as the main threat.
