EVEN at this early stage of the season, there are hopeful signs that we may have an unusually high number of promising novice chasers to watch thiswinter. The Seskin Beginners Chase at Thurles may produce another in Kharasar, who makes his first appearance for almost a year.
A talented hurdler, Kharasar wound up 1995 by winning the December Hurdle on the only day of the Leopardstown Christmas meeting and so may be in need of the run. The booking of Conor O'Dwyer is, however, encouraging and the six year old is preferred to Man Of Arran and Fontaine Fables.
The Wicked Chicken, caught in the dying strides at Gowran and before that a Punchestown winner, is napped to take the Littleton Handicap Hurdle, in which she will be partnered by her usual rider, Gareth Cotter. The main threat to the selection may come from Collon Leader, a good fourth to Tarajan at Galway.
Tony Martin, Collon Leader's trainer, takes the mount on the obviously talented, but so far wayward, Boptwophar in the Toboradora INH Flat Race. At Listowel, on his debut Boptwophar ran out in the lead and on his only other start ducked right and went out through the rails at Punchestown. So it is a formidable challenge Martin faces here, but he is probably the strongest amateur around and he may just get the Pat Flynn runner home in front of Charlie-O, runner up to Cloone Bridge at Gowran.
Matts Dilemma was well clear of the third field when runner up to warm favourite Go Now at Gowran over three miles. The eight year old should make his stamina tell in the Holycross Hurdle.
Macaunta jumped well, apart from pecking at the last, when winning in a canter at Clonmel last week. He should again account for the fourth horse, Steel Dawn, in the Thurles Handicap Chase.