Swamp Fox can exploit weight advantage in Listowel festival feature

€55,000 Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle features 17 four-year-olds

Barry Browne onboard Swamp Fox. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Barry Browne onboard Swamp Fox. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Swamp Fox has enjoyed a productive summer on the Flat since he last ran over hurdles and can prove a different proposition for the opposition in today's Listowel's festival feature.

A total of 17 four-year-olds line up for the €55,000 Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle with Rashaan topping the weights and appearing on the back of a flat victory at Gowran. However, he has to give a stone away to Swamp Fox, winner of one of his four starts over flights last winter, but a horse who has looked good on the flat since, and could be ahead of the jumps handicapper.

As a daughter of Jeremy, Gentil should be helped by very soft ground in the fillies handicap, while the course and distance winner Ecoeye should also be at home in the conditions in the seven- furlong handicap.

Laytown's renowned beach meeting sees the English trainer Jamie Osborne send five runners. However, local trainer Tom McCourt and jockey Colin Keane could be the team to follow in the opening two races.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column