Fairyhouse and Tramore previews: The Noel Meade stable may be temporarily out of action but his stable jockeys, Ian Power and Paul Carberry, have stayed fit and healthy and both will be in action at different venues today and tomorrow.
Power partners Exile in the Metal Man Novice Hurdle at Tramore today, while Carberry could get his New Year off to a flying start at Fairyhouse.
Trained by Andrew Lee in Co Cork, Exile carried off what was a competitive maiden hurdle at Clonmel, in which the betting had been dominated by Ropey Sunset (third) and Which Half (fourth).
Carberry, meanwhile, will have his first mount of the year for Dermot Weld, who has elected to introduce Govamix to hurdling.
Weld thought sufficiently highly of this horse to send him over for the bumper at Cheltenham.
This turned out to be a year when the Irish were swamped in this event as Paddy Mullins had sold Liberman as the price of holding on to Vintage Tipple.
No one would criticise him for this action for it had to be a very fair swap for an octogenarian trainer who had never previously had the good fortune to have a Classic winner in his yard.
On the Cheltenham front, no Irish-trained runner managed to make the first six but Govamix was seventh and included amongst his compatriots who were behind were two Leopardstown Christmas hurdle winners, Kim Fontaine and McGruders Cross.
The fine score-sheet put together by Edward O'Grady at Leopardstown was proof he has escaped infection.
He too can start the New Year in winning fashion with Ride The Storm (2.15) having beaten the handicapper by 13 lengths at Limerick now successfully handling a mandatory 4lb penalty.
Barry Geraghty has given Punchestown a miss to go to Tramore, where Headford Lad (12.30) and Pro Am (2.0) are possible winners.
His big-race mount is Barrow Drive in the Will Dooly Chase but here it is hard to escape the claim of Davids Lad, even if he spent more time in the courts of law than on the racecourses of Ireland during the year.
He did carry top weight of 12 stone, though, into fourth place to Timbera in the Irish Grand National.
