RACING: The former Cheltenham and AIG Champion Hurdle winner Like-A-Butterfly will make her long-awaited return from injury when she has a first start over fences at Naas on Saturday. Brian O'Connor reports.
JP McManus's mare, who edged out Limestone Lad by a head in an AIG thriller last year, hasn't run in over 19 months since finishing third to Sacundai in the 2003 Martell Hurdle at Aintree.
However, Like-A-Butterfly has recovered from a tendon injury and will make her fencing debut in the Irish Stallion Farms Beginners' Chase over two miles when she is likely to come up against a very serious opponent in Newmill.
Last season's leading novice hurdler, already as low as 14 to 1 with some firms for the Arkle at Cheltenham, was described as a "more than likely runner" at Naas by his west Cork trainer Thomas O'Leary yesterday.
Newmill has an alternative engagement at Navan on Sunday but O'Leary said: "They are both left handed so it doesn't really matter to him. It's not definite where he goes yet but we're leaning towards Naas."
Christy Roche gave an upbeat report on Like-A-Butterfly yesterday. "She has done a lot of schooling, done some nice work without having the gun put to her head and she's ready for a race. It will do her good but I think she'll still go very well," he said.
"She schooled down at Enda Bolger's before she came back to me and Conor O'Dwyer said she jumps well.
"Since she has come back we've been treating her a bit with kid gloves but now it's time to go to the races," he added.
Like-A-Butterfly, who was a Cheltenham festival heroine in the 2002 Supreme Novices Hurdle, could also end up facing Noel Meade's smart novice hurdler Zum See who figures among the Naas entries.
A total of 14 horses are left in the Grade Three Woodlands Park Poplar Square Chase and the list includes the high-class novices Royal Alphabet and Watson Lake who have both won their sole starts to date over fences. The two-mile race also has Central House, Adamant Approach and Native Scout among its entry and they will provide a stern test for any novice opposition.
Before that, however, Thursday's feature will be the Clonmel Oil Chase where the cross-channel raider Impek will bid to follow up last year's success by another Henrietta Knight runner Edredon Bleu.
Timmy Murphy had been scheduled to ride Impek but it now looks like the Grand National winning jockey Graham Lee will be in the plate instead.
Willie Mullins has five of the 14 horses left in the race including last season's French Champion Hurdle and SunAlliance Chase winner Rule Supreme as well as Hedgehunter who was a last fence faller in the national.
In other news, the high-class chaser Le Coudray may not now make his seasonal reappearance until next month with Christy Roche reporting: "I think we will be taking it easy with him and it looks like being Christmas. We'll look at races like the big one at Leopardstown (Lexus Chase)."
Eddie Ahern was in form yesterday landing an 80 to 1 treble at Wolverhampton. He took the opening Maiden Stakes on the 2 to 1 favourite Gallantian scoring by a length and a half. And had to be at his most persuasive to get Larad (5 to 1) home by a length in the Banded Stakes an hour later. Bravely Does It (7 to 2) completed his hat-trick, winning by a length from Iftikhar in the In Sky Text Stakes.
