Rain and Casey lead Irish challenge

Teeming Rain and David Casey will lead the Irish challenge in today's £70,000 Totesport Eider Chase at Newcastle.

As well as Teeming Rain, trainer Charlie Swan also runs What A Native, with Tony Dobbin aboard, as he tries to repeat his 2002 success in the four-mile marathon with This Is Serious.

The other Irish interest in the Eider will come from the Shane Donohoe-trained topweight Lordofourown, ridden by Liam Fleming.

Both Swan and Donohoe will also be represented in the two-and-a-half-mile chase on the same Newcastle card where Bog Oak and the veteran former Topham winner Cregg House will take their chances.

Cregg House has been taken out of retirement after failing to adjust to a less active lifestyle and will be ridden by Fleming today.

Trainer Liam Roche and jockey Danny Grant will fly the Irish flag on the all-weather at Lingfield where the Galway winner Holbien runs in the Listed Cleves Stakes over six furlongs.

The partnership also run Holy Affairs in the mile-and-a-half maiden.