National Racing: Listowel PreviewBothar Na will today attempt to become the first horse in 42 years to win back-to-back renewals of the €160,000 Guinness Kerry National, but his trainer, Willie Mullins, is talking down his chances of repeating last year's triumph in the Listowel festival highlight.
Packed Home, in 1964-1965, was the last to complete the Kerry National double, and only Pearl Of Montreal, in 1971 and 1973, has won it twice since.
Bothar Na overcame testing conditions to beat Pearly Jack here last year, and though he should be ideally suited by faster ground this time, Mullins doesn't appear to be expecting too much after a third place over hurdles at Galway last week.
"He was very disappointing at Galway. There's no novice hurdle for him the whole week at Listowel, otherwise he would have run in a hurdle," Mullins said. "He won off a much lower rating last year so it's going to be hard to see him win it this time."
Ignore that last run, however, and Bothar Na looks to have a perfectly reasonable chance of following up, though there could be a much-better-value alternative in one of the most inexperienced runners in the 18-strong race.
Ballycullen Boy only made his racecourse debut in a bumper here a year ago and finally got his head in front in May when winning a Killarney hurdle. However, David Casey's mount has looked a different proposition over fences.
Ballycullen Boy won his first two on fast ground and was still going okay at the Galway festival when exiting at the second-last behind First Row.
A subsequent start over hurdles at Tralee was on heavy going so a better surface today should be much more suitable.
The seven-year-old has to concede in experience terms but he gets a full 24lb from the topweight Ansar as well as half a stone from Bothar Na.
Royal County Star is sure to attract attention but significantly, his trainer Tony Martin reported yesterday: "It's his first run of the season so all we want is for him to come back safe. Hopefully he'll improve for the run."
Openide and Just In Debt will try and emulate Macs Supreme (2000) and Ace Of Spies (1991) and take the prize back to Britain but a bigger danger to Ballycullen Boy is likely to be the Galway Plate runner-up Ballyagran, who will be no 20 to 1 shot this time.
Listowel hosts a Group Three winner in the seven-furlong handicap as last year's Anglesey Stakes victor, Regional Counsel, takes on the 2005 course winner Orpailleur, who comes here on the back of a Curragh win over a mile at the weekend.
Joanna Morgan's charge has only a 5lb penalty to carry and possesses a major chance but the seven-furlong trip, and the easy track, will be ideal for Katirisa, who was runner-up to Sedna at the weekend.
Dermot Weld's Westlake will be a popular fancy for the opening mile-and-a-half conditions race but on official figures, and on quick ground, he faces a big task against Cool Touch.
The latter hasn't been showing the same sort of form as last year but he has 8lb in hand at the weight-for-age terms, as well as 4lb on ratings, and the ground looks to be more in Cool Touch's favour.
King Foraday is an interesting runner in the maiden hurdle but the Stakes winning Quinmaster looks capable of breaking his duck over jumps at the fourth attempt.
