Lightweights have a better record in the Thyestes Chase than in any other important handicap and since the commencement of the present decade there have been four winners carrying the minimum 10st while last year's winner, Letterlee, was just 2lb above it.
This year the race has a new sponsor, Cuisine de France, but I doubt if that will affect the pattern as there are a number of live candidates clustered on or near the bottom.
These include the likely favourite Pinkpinkfizz; Emerald Gale, indicated by the riding arrangements as the selected of Arthur Moore's pair; Kaselectric, who ran away with a Tramore handicap but rises in class now; and Fifth Generation who was having his first race in more than a year when a very encouraging third at Punchestown on Saturday.
All of them may meet their match in Irish Light who is 6lb better off for a nine-length beating by Pinkpinkfizz in the Father Time Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day. He had one run only in 1998 and is fancied to show further improvement today. At 11 years of age he is only a youngster compared to Copp who was a 14-yearold when he won his second Thyestes for Paddy Sleator.
The big race apart, the main crowd-drawing attraction will be the hurdles debut of Wither Or Which who provided Willie Mullins with the first leg of a remarkable Cheltenham Bumper hat-trick. He has had his share of setbacks, some of them more annoying than serious, but could start to reward all concerned for their patience.
Since starting up as a trainer at the start of the current season Charlie Swan has won 14 races, all with different horses. Ash Baloo can become the first double scorer for the yard.
The management of Limerick racecourse sprang a shock yesterday with the announcement that the original intention to continue racing at Greenpark until the new course at Greenmount was ready was being abandoned.
The final meeting on a circuit that has hosted racing at Limerick for 120 years will be held on March 23rd. The decision was taken on the basis that Greenpark "can no longer offer an acceptable standard of facilities for the customers".
When Greenmount does open up on a still to be announced date, it will be at least the fifth different site on which Limerick races has operated since the sport began here in the early part of the 18th century.
