Nick Dundee set for delicate return

The hard part of Nick Dundee's remarkable comeback to race fitness has been achieved, but yet again there are doubts about whether the former star novice will be able to take that vital first step back on to a racetrack.

Nick Dundee is scheduled to take on just three opponents in the removed and renamed Racing To Please You Chase, but although the Navan manager, Richard Lyttle, yesterday reported himself "very optimistic" about racing going ahead, there is nevertheless an inspection this morning.

"It's a case of monitoring the weather in case more rain arrives. But it's stopped raining at the moment, there's a drying wind and I'm very optimistic," Lyttle said. That will be sweet news to Edward O'Grady, who has performed wonders to get Nick Dundee back to the racing scene. Most of those who witnessed his horrific injury, picked up when he fell at the third last in 1999 SunAlliance Chase, doubted the horse would win the battle for life, never mind resume his career.

But Nick Dundee is back, and the question now must be if he can come back as good as he was. If he can, then those who witness his race against Padre Mio, Bob Treacy and stablemate Nicholls Cross are in for a real treat.

The scale of Nick Dundee's potential can be gauged from the way he was cantering all over the subsequent Gold Cup winner Looks Like Trouble in that fateful SunAlliance when disaster struck. Yes, Looks Like Trouble improved dramatically afterwards, but whose to say Nick Dundee wouldn't have too?

Against that is the old saying of "they never come back". Whether Nick Dundee will be as good as he was or could have been will never be certain, but the important thing is that he is indeed back. And he can even come back with a win, as the two veterans appear past their best and Nicholls Cross looks hard pushed on the ratings.

O'Grady and rider Philip Fenton face an important day all around, as the very promising Get It Done should be up to retaining an unbeaten record around the course and distance of a previous defeat of Native Endurance in the Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Hurdle.

Another rider to follow should be the current title holder, Barry Geraghty, who gets the leg up on Champagne Native in the opener and the dourly staying Tisrabraq, who might just be a touch of value against Catch Ball in the three mile hurdle.

Fireaway registered his second bumper win in eye catching fashion at Doncaster yesterday, and Owen Brennan's charge looks a horse to follow.