RACING:HOPES ARE high Limerick's Christmas action can get off to a belated start this afternoon with officials expecting the track to pass a 7.30 morning inspection.
“They had a look at it this morning and there were still some frozen parts there. But it is thawing out and we would be very optimistic about racing going ahead,” a Turf Club spokesman said yesterday.
Just five runners are due to line up for the featured Dorans Pride Novice Hurdle, but this race has thrown up future stars such as Kazal (2006) and Weapon’s Amnesty (2008) in recent years.
Local trainer Charles Byrnes has won at the last two Cheltenham Festivals with Weapon’s Amnesty, and this time provides the mare Knockfierna for the race.
The five-year-old has won her last two, but she proved to be no match for Carloswayback when the pair clashed at this track last month. Paul Nolan’s horse won cosily and it could be worth forgiving him a poor effort behind Zaidpour at Fairyhouse last time when he was beaten from three out.
The star name on view at Limerick today will be the high-class mare Shirley Casper, who goes in the Beginners Chase for the Dessie Hughes-Bryan Cooper team.
A Grade Two bumper winner, and fourth to Cork All-Star in the Cheltenham bumper, Shirley Casper secured a Grade Three success over hurdles and put in a perfectly satisfactory first start over fences at Navan recently.
Very heavy ground would hardly be ideal for such a classy individual, but a level of performance anywhere near her best would make her hard to beat today.
The Hughes-Cooper combination will also fancy their chances in the second maiden hurdle where Sugar Bullet can build on a narrow bumper success at Naas last time. Before that, she chased home the very useful Our Girl Salley at Navan over flights.
Gordon Elliott sends his brother, Joey, south to team up with Trendelenburg in the two-mile five-furlong handicap hurdle, and this one presents an intriguing profile off a mark of 89. Elliott is always a trainer to respect in handicaps and Trendelenburg was a point-to-point winner on his last start.
Local trainer Eric McNamara has Little Green for the opening three-year-old maiden hurdle and that horse holds Tillahow on recent Clonmel form behind Kristal Komet.
However, Tommy Stack unveils an interesting jumping prospect in Billy Lee’s mount Mister Carter. This one made a winning debut on the flat at Leopardstown last March in a decent maiden, and although his form tailed off somewhat subsequently, Mister Carter has always looked a type to jump a hurdle.
Wicklow Lad failed to add to an earlier Thurles victory on his last start in November, but Francis Flood’s horse is capable of landing the handicap chase on his best form.
