RACING/LIMERICK PREVIEW:SIR DES Champs provided Emmet Mullins with a career high when winning at the Cheltenham festival in March and he can give the jockey a perfect late Christmas present at Limerick too.
A dramatic winner of the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys race at Cheltenham, Sir Des Champs impressed hugely on his Irish chasing debut at Fairyhouse this month and had been in contention to line up in Leopardstown’s Grade One feature.
“However Willie Mullins has elected to go the easier route and steers Sir Des Champs instead to the Grade Two feature of Limerick’s four-day festival – the Greenmount Park Novice Chase.
With Davy Russell on duty at Leopardstown, Mullins has not surprisingly turned to his nephew, Emmet, to ride the Gigginstown star again and the partnership will face just three opponents in the €37,500 event.
One of them is another Gigginstown hope in Kicking King’s brother Four Commanders who was Grade Two-placed on his last start. However Sir Des Champs is already as low as 10 to 1 with Ladbrokes for the Royal SunAlliance Chase at Cheltenham in March so in those terms it will be disappointing if the Mullins runner can’t cope with the opposition this time.
The most dangerous of the opposition could end up being the mare Knockfierna who impressed when beating Shop Dj in a Grade Three at Cork last time.
However a mare’s only event looks a very different kettle of fish to this St Stephen’s Day task.
Andrew McNamara is on Four Commanders in the Limerick feature but is also on board Plan A in the two-mile conditions hurdle and this could be the local rider’s best chance on Monday.
Plan A was pulled up when a warm favourite at Cheltenham in October but before that had impressed at Fairyhouse and Listowel and could be a better option than Trifolium who could hardly have won any easier at Cork on his last start but didn’t appear to beat very much.
The best piece of Christmas evidence however could have come at Thurles on Thursday when Quarryvale dominated a handicap from start to finish and ran out an utterly convincing winner by a handsome 22 lengths.
Cork trainer Jimmy Mangan immediately nominated the handicap chase at Limerick on St Stephen’s Day as a quick repeat opportunity and his son, Paddy, will again team up with Quarryvale who carries a mandatory 6lb penalty.
Conor O’Dwyer has enjoyed Christmas success as a trainer at Limerick in the past and Donttellmother could be another notch in his record in the handicap hurdle after reappearing at Punchestown recently after over two years off.
Fine Young Man ran into a potentially smart type in Please Talk at Punchestown earlier this month and before that was runner-up over hurdles. This Naas bumper winner should be hard to beat in the opener if repeating that kind of form.
Lamb Or Cod had Royal Vic behind him when third to At Fishers Cross at Cork. Eugene O’Sullivan’s charge can send punters home happy from the bumper.
