RACING/Limerick and Punchestown previews: Beef Or Salmon takes the first step on what may become a Gold Cup-winning season when he lines up for tomorrow's Anglo Irish Bank Munster National at his local Limerick track.
Now that the back problems that plagued Beef Or Salmon last term appear to be under control he is as short as 8 to 1 to dethrone Best Mate at Cheltenham next March.
But as first steps go, Michael Hourigan is asking him to take a pretty big one now.
"We have to start somewhere," Hourigan said yesterday. "The ground at Limerick is perfect for him and it's a lovely track.
"He'll run a good race."
Bypassing yesterday's Gowran feature does open the door to a shot at a €100,000 pot, but it also opens Beef Or Salmon up to be shot at by some very decent opposition.
Half of that opposition are out of the handicap proper, but although Barrow Drive is 1lb wrong, he does look to be sitting pretty at the right end of the handicap.
The same could very definitely not be said of his last start, when Barrow Drive carried topweight in the Kerry National and ran a stormer to be third to Banasan.
Yet again, his trainer, Tony Mullins, expressed the view that two miles and six is probably Barrow Drive's best, but Limerick is not the sternest test of stamina and the "yielding" ground should be perfect.
Tony McCoy guided Risk Accessor to second in the Galway Plate and renews the partnership again, but Barrow Drive looks the big threat to Beef Or Salmon, who may find this task too hard on his first start of the term.
Hourigan and Timmy Murphy also team up for The Screamer in the Listed Novice Hurdle, but one man who knows that mare really well is Paul Carberry, who opposes on Laurel View.
Carberry earned the phrase "genius" from Hourigan after guiding the hard-pulling mare to success at Listowel, and Carberry looks to have the key to beating her this time.
Ruby Walsh and Michael O'Brien are a dangerous combination when they team up, and Stashedaway looks the one to beat in the two-mile chase, but Forget The Past might have to give best to Well Presented in the Beginners Chase.
The latter's rider, Barry Geraghty, looks the man to follow at this afternoon's Punchestown meeting, where last season's top bumper performer Blazing Liss has her first start over flights in the mares' novice hurdle.
This one's Cheltenham experience was not the best, as she came down in the bumper, and she was runner-up to Geill Sli subsequently at Punchestown.
Geraghty is on the JP McManus-owned Man About Town in the bumper, and this smart bumper performer looks one to make an impression over jumps, while the champion jockey also looks to hold good chances on Old Kilminchy in the handicap chase.
The Jesuit proved an expensive type to follow in bumpers last season, but with a summer on his back the five-year-old can get off the mark today.
