TODAY’S €26,000 Listed feature at Thurles may have just five runners, but they include four individual Grade One winners and Rare Bob can emerge best of the lot.
Trainer Dessie Hughes has his string in great form, with four winners and 10 placed horses in the last fortnight, and Rare Bob has had a warm-up on the flat already at Navan last month.
Not surprisingly, that didn’t result in much, but it does provide the 2009 Punchestown festival Grade One winner with a better lead in to a jumping campaign than he had last season.
Ranged against him will be the top-rated Glencove Marina, who has a second start for Eoin Griffin, Follow The Plan and the former Welsh National and Punchestown Gold Cup winner Notre Pere.
Jim Dreaper’s horse was another to endure an interrupted campaign last season and the trainer is hoping for better this term. “We’re trying to forget last year really as it all went pear-shaped. He seems in good form but often with these older horses, you’re not really sure until you run them,” Dreaper said.
“He has an entry in the Hennessy but we need to get the right vibes from him and see how he gets on at Thurles.”
Bob Lingo ran twice over fences at the Co Tipperary track last season but probably put in his best chase performance at Punchestown when third to Noble Prince last time out.
No One Tells Me and Hampshire Express concede experience to Bob Lingo in the Beginners Chase and that could prove crucial.
The Galileo filly Magen’s Star is an intriguing jumping debutant in the mares maiden hurdle given she reached a flat mark of 97 last season when a 12-length success at the Curragh was the start of a hat-trick.
Nina Carberry teams up again with Pocket Reader in the bumper and Enda Bolger’s point to point winner can score with a repeat of his Galway second to One Fine Morning.
