Farmer Brown looks the pick

Racing: Philip Carberry was in winning form at Cagnes Sur Mer on the French Riviera earlier in the week and can strike on home…

Racing:Philip Carberry was in winning form at Cagnes Sur Mer on the French Riviera earlier in the week and can strike on home turf today with Farmer Brown in the feature race at Limerick.

The jockey's French Gold Cup success on Princess D'Anjou last year has resulted in further and sustained success for trainer Francois Cottin in France including two winners at the Cagnes course near Nice last Sunday.

But Carberry's other big 2006 victory was Point Barrow in the Irish National and he again teams up with that horse's trainer Pat Hughes today for the 16,000 novice hurdle.

Farmer Brown looked to be an unlucky loser at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival when failing to get a run up the inside under Davy Russell.

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Candy Girl went on to win the race and that mare's stable companion, Freds Benefit, a course and distance winner last time, looks the main danger.

Carberry could also have a big shout in the mares maiden hurdle on board Lady Farthingville who was third to Jenny's Oscar at Cork on Saturday.

The ex-Dermot Weld-trained Baynes Cross is an interesting newcomer in the juvenile maiden hurdle.

However Conor O'Dwyer looks just the man to settle Disclosure who ran too free on his own debut at Gowran last month.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

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