IF the weather forecast is anything to go by the ground could be gone by this afternoon. Yielding or worse would not suit Space Trucker who meets his Galway Hurdle conqueror Mystical City 8lb better for two and a half lengths in today's Smithwicks Beer Handicap Hurdle at Listowel. For that matter Mystical City would also prefer fast conditions.
So, assuming there will be a change in going, I am inclined to favour the Noel Meade trained Alasad, seventh in the Galway Hurdle and now 9lb better off with Space Trucker for some 14 lengths. Theoretically that pull would not be enough to turn the tables, but the big, well bred Alasad was not suited to Galway's switchback. He has won on fast ground but it was soft when he won his maiden hurdle at Leopardstown in March.
Near Gale impressed in winning a handicap hurdle at the Galway September meeting and can be expected to confirm the placings with Blaze Of Honour but in an open enough race I favour Alasad and Richard Dunwoody.
The Helena Sheahan Memorial Handicap is another open affair. Tommy Stack appears to have a strong hand with Sir Oracle and High In The Clouds.
The former won easily over this distance at Dundalk and Galway while High In The Clouds, was touched off by the 19lb conceding Gan Saru at Galway. The winner is a good horse. Aidan O'Brien may have the answer in his dual winner Maid To Move who handled soft ground when winning handily at Tipperary last month.
O'Brien can also land the Kevin McManus Beginners Chase with Rockfield Native who, while absent since beating New Co over hurdles at Naas in March, looks a cut above this opposition. Course winner Moscow Express may complete a stable treble in the Paddy Cullagh Flat Race.
Noeleens Delight, who ran well in a maiden hurdle at Tralee, is chosen to win the Spectra Photo Labs Handicap Hurdle and Silvian Bliss is taken to land the Coleman Tunnelling Maiden Hurdle for Dermot Weld.
. Ben Hanbury, the trainer whose fill Meshhed put Willie Carson in hospital, made headlines for the right reasons when Hagwah, captured the feature race at Goodwood yesterday. The filly ended a month long barren spell the handler when completing a hat trick of Listed race successes with another trademark pillar to post victory in the ROA Foundation Stakes under Michael Roberts.
Hagwah's second in a Group Three race at the Curragh was the only recent blemish on her record, but she accounted for a good field as she beat Overbury by two and a half lengths, with Fahim the same distance back in third.
. Helissio has been cut half a point by both Ladbrokes and William Hill for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and is now 3 to 1 favourite after the announcement that the John Oxx trained Timarida would not be supplemented.
. Bahhare, the favourite for next, year's 2,000 Guineas, is to spend, the winter in Dubai as Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum embraces his brother's Middle Eastern experiment. The unbeaten colt is expected to leave England in the next two to three weeks as part of a team of up to 20 two year olds, who, will be hand picked from the owner's string of 240.
