It is two years since Davy Russell came close to disaster in the Ladbrokes Munster National but he could enjoy a much happier experience in this Sunday’s €90,000 feature at Limerick.
The former triple-champion jockey was left with fractured vertebrae in his neck following a first-fence fall in the 2020 renewal.
Russell later claimed he had “dodged a bullet” in the spill which at one point threatened his career and had many predicting his retirement.
It took 11 months, but the veteran rider did return to action and confounded sceptics with a series of outstanding big-race efforts last season.
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Now he’s back in Munster National action on board Floueur, one of five Gordon Elliott-trained runners in Ireland’s most lucrative weekend contest.
Last seen getting pulled up in the Irish National on Easter Monday, the seven-year-old is still relatively unexposed over fences and looks progressive.
Jordan Gainford was in the spotlight last weekend through Hewick’s US exploits and will bid for more National glory this time on Defi Bleu.
Locally trained Donkey Years is one of three runners for JP McManus who also has the top-weighted pair, Early Doors and A Wave Of The Sea.
Testing Curragh conditions
Sunday’s feature at the Curragh is the Group 3 Comer Group Loughbrown Stakes.
A dozen line up including the three-year-old filly Emily Dickinson who makes a quick turnaround following a decent effort at Ascot last weekend.
Getting within five lengths of Emily Upjohn at Group One level was no bad effort and suggests testing ground shouldn’t be a problem. In the likely conditions, she gets a significant chunk of weight from her elders including Lismore and Beamish. The latter steps up to two miles for the first time and could be open to significant improvement for it.
With up to 25mm of rain forecast prior to Sunday’s card, conditions at HQ shape like being ultra-testing, something that shouldn’t be an issue for Moss Tucker in a Listed contest.
This will be the 12th start of a busy campaign for Ken Condon’s runner but Moss Tucker comes here on the back of a career-best in the Prix de l’Abbaye on Arc day.
Despite missing the break, he eventually got within less than three lengths of the winner, The Platinum Queen, at Group One level.
On official figures he holds a leading chance in this company and his relish for testing ground is a plus too.
The same can’t be said for the high-class stayer Falcon Eight who drops in trip for the amateur rider’s Derby.
Jockey Finny Maguire has an impressive record when teaming up with Dermot Weld and while Falcon Eight has a clear edge on ratings, conditions could swing the initiative the way of Shanroe.
Facethepuckout has looked transformed recently, winning at the Curragh by six lengths last week before sluicing up by the same distance at Gowran under a penalty five days later.
Now he’s back in action off a mark of 79 and that hike could make him vulnerable to Perfect Thunder.
