RACING:CHAMPION OWNER JP McManus has never won the Boylesports.com Hurdle under its various guises through the years but his hope, Reizovic, has been installed a 6 to 1 favourite to win Leopardstown's prestigious handicap at the end of this month.
Formerly known as the MCR Hurdle, and before that as the Pierse, the Ladbroke and the Sweeps Hurdle, the two-mile event attracted 47 entries at yesterday’s forfeit stage including seven from champion trainer Willie Mullins who won with Final Approach last year.
The race is one of the few big handicaps to elude McManus but despite finishing well behind Cass Bligh at Leopardstown over Christmas, the legendary owner’s Reizovic has been made market leader by the sponsors with Scottish Boogie, third in that Cass Bligh race, rated a 7 to 1 second favourite.
Trainer Arthur Moore dominated the race through two decades, winning it six times, and is set to run his Cheltenham festival heroine, What A Charm.
“Leopardstown might be a bit sharp for her, but the softer the ground the better for her. She ran well there the last day behind Our Girly Salley,” Moore said yesterday.
“There isn’t a great deal coming up for her, so we’ll let her take her chance and hopefully she will get in with a nice weight on her back.”
Moore also stated that Irish Grand National winner Organisedconfusion will have his first start over fences this season when he lines up in the Leopardstown Chase on the same day.
“I’d imagine that he’ll have near enough to top weight and it will be a tough ask for him, but the intention is for him to run. He ran well in the race last year,” he said.
BOYLESPORTS.COM HURDLE BETTING (Boylesports): 6 Reizovic, 7 Scottish Boogie, 12 Askthemaster, 14 Make A Track Olofi, 16 Cass Bligh Citizenship, 20 Bar.
