RACING: Edward O'Grady confirmed yesterday that the star hurdler Ned Kell will make his comeback at Fairyhouse at the end of the month. But O'Grady also reported that the AIG winner is unlikely to be fit enough to come out on top in the Hattons Grace Hurdle.
"With the firm ground we weren't in any rush with him and obviously he is considerably more behind than he was last season.
"I would expect him to be ready for the Hattons Grace and I would expect him to be ready enough to run very well, but I would be surprised if he won it," O'Grady said.
By this time last season, Ned Kelly had won at Down Royal before being edged out by Limestone Lad in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.
That race will be run again this Saturday with Limestone Lad again likely to dominate affairs, although the high class chaser Knife Edge is expected to revert to hurdles in the Morgiana.
O'Grady's Pizarro, winner of the Weatherbys Bumper at the Cheltenham festival last March, is being aimed at a hurdling debut at Navan on Sunday.
Also on target for Navan is the SunAlliance Hurdle runner-up Over The Bar, who was travelling like a winner on his chasing debut only to make a very bad mistake at the last ditch at Navan. He was pulled up.
Today's Irish action is at Clonmel, where Dromhale Lady bids for some quick compensation in the handicap chase. The Hourigan-trained mare looked a likely winner at Cork on Sunday only to come crashing down to hand the race to An Modh Direach. The presence of the Down Royal scorer Victor Boy could lend a bit of value to Dromhale Lady's price.
Willie Mullins gives Boneyarrow a first start over fences in the Beginners Chase. Boneyarrow ran off a hurdles rating of 125 when 10 lengths off his stable companion Davenport Milenium in a Grade One outing at Punchestown. If the horse takes to chasing as expected, today's opposition faces a tough task.
Windfall found Solerina too good at Thurles last week, but the Hughes runner could be up to going one better in the first. The Punchestown bumper scorer Central House looks the main danger.
