HOW THE MIGHTY have fallen.
Having finished a creditable fourth to Altior in what is believed to be the best Supreme ever run, ahead of Charbel, Supasundae and Bellshill, things have not gone to plan for Tombstone.
He was even the butt of Michael O’Leary’s jokes after bouncing back to form to finish third in the Ryanair Hurdle over Christmas with the Gigginstown supremo saying: “Samcro couldn’t even beat Tombstone for God’s sake.”
Of course Samcro is held in much higher regard than Tombstone and you can see where O’Leary was coming from but Gordon Elliott seems to have spotted a terrific opportunity for this nine-year-old to get back to winning ways in the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle (1.50) at Naas.
It would be foolish to take the aforementioned Ryanair Hurdle at face value, given he got a soft lead in a slowly run race, but he still finished ahead of Melon, Samcro and Petit Mouchoir.
He’s officially rated 148 over hurdles and gets 7lb from the 155-rated Espoir D’Allen so they should finish locked together according to the assessor but the market suggests otherwise.
Maybe Espoir D’Allen is the real deal, but I’m not convinced he’s the live Champion Hurdle outsider that so many think he is. He beat Stormy Ireland, who got very tired in the testing ground at Limerick, and has yet to run outside of his own age group.
Wicklow Brave does not look the force of old, and is flattered by a mark of 152, while Forge Meadow has been disappointing of late so this could be the day Tombstone registers an eighth career success, at a track where he has won at before.
You could make a case for at least half a dozen in the Grade 3 Naas Racecourse Business Club Novice Chase (2.20) but I’ve long thought Ballyward would be a completely different proposition over fences and, with the Willie Mullins camp starting to fire on all cylinders, he is fancied to stake his Cheltenham Festival claims.
The strapping son of Flemensfirth achieved a rating of 143 over hurdles, 3lb higher than likely favourite Chris’s Dream, and there was much to like about the way he shaped at Punchestown on his chasing debut on New Year’s Eve.
Punches Cross is chasing a hat-trick in the Free Trial At racingtv.com/freetrial Novice Handicap Chase (3.50) but he could struggle to cope with Stowaway Forever. The Philip Dempsey-trained seven-year-old will appreciate the extra cut in the ground and course form figures of 4223 suggest he goes well at Naas.
SUNDAY’S TIPS
Tombstone
1.50 Naas
Ballyward
2.20 Naas
Stowaway Forever
3.50 Naas
- David Jennings
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