VICTORY for Mister Munnelly in the opening event at Bellewstown this evening would ensure that Christy Roche becomes the subject of a teaser for future generations of racing quiz competitors.
After all, what other answer could there then be to the question to name the jockey who in the space of four days rode the Irish Derby winner and trained a hurdles winner at Bellewstown.
It is a pleasant fancy but Mister Munnelly will have to prove himself a particularly fast jumper of hurdles if on this, his NH debut, he is to foil the top weight Snow Falcon.
Roche will be only too well aware of the task that faces his horse, for when the stable landed a major gamble with Grimes in the Pounds 50,000 Murphys Irish Stout Champion 4-y-o Hurdle at Punchestown in April, the runner-up was Snow Falcon, ridden as today by Norman Williamson.
Snow Falcon looks a short-odds banker but punters will need a couple more than that if they are to survive an eight-race programme that includes five handicaps.
Although the Tattersalls Maiden is at a mile, it is hardly a great test of stamina but two-year-olds do need to handle the turns with competence. Experience is a plus and Precise Direction, with Roche this time in the roll of rider, looks the business.
First time out, Precise Direction finished fifth of 10 to Retention at Roscommon and he occupied the same finishing berth 10 days ago at Gowran Park behind Magical Minty. Near Dunleer, who started the season on a good note by taking second place to Heeremandi at Fairyhouse, could be the danger as the third placing went to the subsequent Tipperary winner Obvious Appeal.
In 1995 and again in 1996, Gerrydardis won on his third start of the season. The same pattern could be repeated by Jim Kavanagh this year as he returns to Bellewstown for the same contest that he won 12 months ago.
The MacDermott Communications extended Handicap has now been divided and apart from New Legislation and Paddy Mullins's veteran steeplechaser Ever So Bold, Division One does not look over competitive.
In the other division, the value could he provided by another small stable, that of Luke Comer whose runner Run To The Ace competes over a variety of distances but was successful over a virtual mile at Dundalk, beating My Trelawny by three lengths.
Now that Born To Win has managed to get the knack of scoring over hurdles - she beat Paddy's Pet and Copper Mountain at Roscommon - she might profit from a light weight in the Tayto Growers sponsored hurdle.
Today's meeting at Redcar has been abandoned as recent heavy rain has made the the track unraceable. Clerk of the course John Gundill reported yesterday that the ground was waterlogged.
The abandonment of Redcar leaves Folkestone as today's only afternoon fixture in Britain.
The Epsom Derby looks certain to remain a Saturday fixture for the foreseeable future with the news that Vodafone will extend its sponsorship until 1999.
