RACING: Charlie Swan has been booked to ride Liss A Paoraigh in Thursday's Bonusprint Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, which kicks off its three-day bonanza tomorrow.
The John Kiely-trained mare was supplemented into the race on Saturday at a cost of £7,000.
Swan has won the Stayers' twice including on Shuil Ar Aghaidh who won for Kiely's brother Paddy in 1993.
He finished runner-up on the ill-fated Bannow Bay behind Baracouda in this three-mile contest last March and has a total of 17 Festival wins in his career.
The going at Cheltenham remains good after the track missed out on the widespread rain over the weekend.
"We've had no measurable rain since Friday," said clerk of the course Simon Claisse.
"There's a chance on rain on Tuesday but the remaining two days are due to the dry."
However the top trainer Nicky Henderson said yesterday: "If we get two days of drying ground they'll be fairly humming around here on Tuesday. It will be quite quick by then."
Swan's Festival Bumper mount is Kahuna trained by Eamon "Dusty" Sheehy and the Sheehy team were on the mark at Naas yesterday with Rathgar Beau.
The novice ran out a four-length winner from Glens Music and Sheehy said: "The plan is to go to Aintree for a two mile novice. We'll freshen him up now."
Friends Amigo made his first start in over three months a winning one when powering clear of Nobody Told Me in the novice hurdle.
Cadou Royal and Conor O'Dwyer edged out Nearly A Moose by a head in a thrilling finish to the handicap chase.
