Trainer Arthur Moore believes Punchestown scorer Lastoftheleaders has his work cut out as he aims to follow up in the Bet On Your Mobile With boylesports.comChase at Thurles today.
The 10-year-old recorded an emotional victory in the Dan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at the start of the month, a valuable prize named in honour of the trainer’s late father.
Beaten into fourth when favourite that day was the Willie Mullins-trained Lambro, who is 7lb better off with Lastoftheleaders at the weights.
Moore said: “He’s in good form, but it’s going to be tough for him to confirm placings with Lambro due to the switch around at the weights.
“I’m happy with him so we’ll give it a go and see how we get on. There are bits and pieces of races for him for the rest of the season, but there aren’t any major targets. He’ll probably go back over hurdles at some stage.”
Royal De La Thinte showed some smart novice form a couple of seasons ago but has been on the sidelines for a long time with injury and his recent point-to-point outings suggest he is not the force he once was.
“He’s okay, but we don’t think he has really rediscovered his best form,” said trainer Jim Dreaper.
“He was a bit disappointing in his last point-to-point and maybe he has lost his enthusiasm, we don’t really know.
“He was a promising horse a couple of years ago, but he’s had leg troubles and various problems since then.
“Andrew (Lynch) is back on him and we’re just hoping he can find the key to him, but I’m not sure what to expect.”
Tom Taaffe’s veteran Treacle makes his first racecourse appearance since falling in last year’s Grand National. A return to Aintree is his number one objective.
Taaffe said: “He’s fine and we’re looking forward to running him. The trip is probably a little bit short for him, but we need to start him off somewhere and hopefully he’ll run a nice race.
“We want to get this race in – we also have an eye on another race – and then hopefully it will be onto Aintree after that.”
As well as Lambro, champion trainer Mullins also saddles Quiscover Fontaine in the two-and-a-quarter-mile test.
An eight-runner field is completed by Muirhead, Mount Benbulben and Odonimee.
Philip Fenton believes the Dessie Hughes-trained Bright New Dawn is the one to beat in the boylesports.comMichael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle.
Fenton runs the promising Venture Capital, owned by JP McManus, who has had the misfortune to meet two very smart prospects on his last two outings. He was second to leading Grand National contender Prince De Beauchene at Limerick and then chased home another Mullins-trained inmate in Inish Island at Clonmel.
Fenton has not lost faith, however, and expects the better ground to suit. “He’s in good form again, though, and the ground is drying up a bit now which should suit him, although it’s still a long way from good ground,” said Fenton.
