VENTANA CANYON, the winner of this year's Arkle Chase at Cheltenham, has met with a slight setback and so misses the Bennettsbridge Chase at Gowran this afternoon. His stable is now represented by Time For A Run, who will be having his first outing since being brought down in the Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown in April.

An extremely talented staying hurdler whose victories include the 1994 Coral Cup at Cheltenham, Time For A Run has yet to reveal the same ability over fences. Of course, he is still relatively inexperienced chaser, having had only four outings, winning once.

The conditions of today's event are in his favour and despite having been off the track since the spring, he is a hopeful choice to beat The Outback Way, most impressive when beating Anabatic over this course and distance last week.

Successful in a Limerick bumper when beating one of today's opposition, Diamond Double, Flamingo Flower had been absent since finishing a good third in a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle back January. That was a useful effort and she is napped to take the INH Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle from Lucky Bust and Minella Magic.

There is a Jackpot carry-over of over £9,000, but if as looks likely, Aidan O'Brien wins the last three legs with Frances Street, Penndara and Cloone Bridge, the dividend could be small.

In the second division of the Thomastown Maiden Hurdle, Penndara, runner-up to The Latvian Lark at Punchestown last week, looks a snip unless one of the newcomers is well above average.

Frances Street, in the opening division, has a lot more to do. Placed behind the talented Palette on his last two starts, he is still preferred to Delphi Lodge, who showed promise in a valuable Punchestown bumper, and the consistent Real Taoiseach.

An odds-on favourite on his debut at Naas, Cloone Bridge could only manage fourth place to Do Ye Know Wha. He should now show the benefit of that outing by finishing in front of the second horse, Supreme Chanter, on this occasion.

. The Lower Grange EBF Nursery, which was dropped from today's programme because the seven furlong course was unraceable, has been re-scheduled for Leopardstown on Sunday week. Fresh entries must be made by next Monday.