Champion jockey Paul Townend is putting all his St Stephen's Day eggs into the Asterion Forlonge basket.
The Willie Mullins-trained grey is one of five runners for Limerick’s Grade One feature of the year, the Matchbook Exchange Faugheen Novice Chase, named after last year’s winner.
It’s not often a horse currently in training gets so honoured but then the scenes that greeted Faugheen’s defeat of Samco in 2019 were rare too.
They won’t be replicated on Saturday but the significance of the champion jockey having just a single St Stephen’s Day ride won’t be lost on many.
Mullins’s decision to opt for this Grade One target rather than Leopardstown’s Racing Post Chase is no surprise. It means not having to drop in trip but more importantly it allows Asterion Forlonge race right-handed.
The alarming tendency to jump right that spoiled his Supreme chances at Cheltenham in March reared up too on his otherwise impressive debut over fences at Punchestown last month.
Two and a half miles on heavy going will be a major test but at least he shouldn’t have to also cope with unnecessarily throwing away valuable ground to the opposition.
A more important factor for Asterion Forlonge is likely to be significant opposition, including two of his stable companions, Janidil and Colreevy.
Both were impressive last time out and Colreevy will have the crucial advantage of a 7lb sex allowance in gruelling conditions.
Biggest problem
It is their Gordon Elliott-trained rival, Pencilfulloflead, that may ultimately represent the biggest problem however. The going will be no problem to a horse that proved too good for Latest Exhibition in a Grade Two at Punchestown and who’d previously impressed at Galway.
Fences seem to have brought out the best in Keith Donoghue’s mount. If it comes down to a slog he could have the best ammunition.
Janidil is one of four rides Mark Walsh has for JP McManus at Limerick, beginning with Palm Beach in the opening three year old maiden hurdle.
The son of Galileo won on the flat for Aidan O’Brien on heavy ground at the Listowel festival. This might be a different kettle of heavy again though.
Despite having almost three lengths in hand of Zoffanien on the form of his jumping debut he may struggle to confirm that form.
Shadow Rider however should be hard to beat for Walsh in a later maiden hurdle and point to point winner Ardera Ru can edge out the topically named Socially Distant in a bumper finale.
