• Carrigeen Kalmia and her jockey, Liz Lalor, secured a notable chasing victory at Leopardstown on AIG day last month but it will be interesting to see how the partnership fare in their first start over hurdles for almost two years at Thurles this afternoon.
A total of four rather uninspiring efforts over the smaller obstacles in 2005 have resulted in a 90 mark for the two-and-three-quarter-mile handicap hurdle which is almost two stone less than what Carrigeen Kalmia is currently rated at over fences.
Lalor's mount will certainly come here in form having won over fences at Thurles before landing the valuable Clarkson Chase and Carrigeen Kalmia's case for winning makes plenty of sense on the book.
There will be none of the 16 to 1 available about Sophocles in the bumper today that there was at Cheltenham on New Year's Day when James Leavy's horse chased home Quartano. The newcomers will have to be good to get the better of him.
Grangehill Dancer had a tough task when chasing home Laureldean at Fairyhouse on his last start but looks to have a good opportunity now in the handicap chase.
