Native-Darrig's spectacular winning run came to an end at Galway but today's Denny Haversnack Race at Tralee looks to be his chance of possibly starting another sequence.
Willie Mullins' strapping horse won five on the bounce over hurdles and on the flat before starting a warm favourite for the Galway Hurdle. The combination of a low weight and softish ground looked irresistible for Native-Darrig but he was ultimately a huge disappointment, trailing in ninth behind Toast The Spreece.
Racing on the flat today will be no problem to Native-Darrig as he has some smart form, notably when beating today's opponent, Winged Hussar, by a length at the Curragh at the end of June.
Winged Hussar subsequently went on to finish second to Saving Bond in the big amateur handicap at Galway and with a 6lb pull for that Curragh effort behind Native-Darrig, he looks the form choice. However, it may not be as simple as that.
Willie Mullins believes Native-Darrig was totally unsuited to the undulations of Galway and is prepared to forget the Hurdle run. On this flatter track and on very soft going that Native-Darrig is proven on, it should be worth sharing that belief. As for the weight difference with Winged Hussar, that very soft surface may negate that and it was noticeable at the Curragh that Winged Hussar ducked in behind under pressure. It may be dangerous to boil this down to a two horse race but Native-Darrig to beat Winged Hussar looks the most likely result.
On this surface, it was tempting to plump for Antonin in the £20,000 Denny Gold Medal Chase but on balance, Merry People could be a better bet.
It's difficult to erase the memory of how Antonin sluiced through the mud to win at Punchestown last February to win the Grand National Trial by a cantering distance. That ability to thrive in the soft is attractive but he hasn't run since the English Grand National and this two and a half miles is well short of Antonin's best.
It may also be short of Merry People's best but the accent today will be on stamina and John Queally's horse is a course and distance winner here in early June. Perknapp is 3lb better in with Idiot's Venture for a narrow defeat at Galway but may not last out this trip on this ground.
Rustic Memory won a mile handicap in the mud at Killarney and with John Murtagh in the plate today, could be the sort of tough and consistent animal to make them all go in the Kerryman-Australian Jockey Club Handicap.
Murtagh will also fancy his chances on the Kahyasi filly Sarapaka in the Naughton-Citreon Maiden for this retained stable of John Oxx. Sarapaka was runner up to Dermot Weld's Shi-Ar at Fairyhouse and while Weld's Sense Of Honour opposes today, Sarapaka may prefer the going more.
Weld should win the concluding Giles Maiden though with Urban Dancer, a Generous filly.
