Sport

Carberry hat-trick on the cards

Racing Irish and English previews: Paul Carberry can do things by threes at Kilbeggan tonight. Partnering Patton (6

Fri Aug 22 2003 - 01:00

Racing Irish and English previews: Paul Carberry can do things by threes at Kilbeggan tonight. Partnering Patton (6.00) he can ride the winner of the TEC Technical Equipment Maiden Hurdle for the third year in a row and this could lay the foundation for a Carberry hat-trick with Patton being followed on directly by Move The News (6.30) and Blue (7.00).

Patton's racecourse runs have been well spaced out and he may feel that he is being overworked by being asked to contest two races inside of 50 days. At Limerick last month he paid Computote odds of better than 15 to 1, an unusually generous return for a Noel Meade bumper winner. The favourite that evening was Galtee View and while she was beasten four lengths into third place, she endorsed the form by winning at Tramore on Monday evening.

Noel Meade must certainly know where he is going with Blue in the Hacketts Bookmakers Beginners Chase. Not only did Blue win his maiden hurdle at this meeting two years ago but Noel saddled Greco to justify favouritism in the Beginners Chase at the last meeting on this course.

Amongst those who oppose Blue now are Killoran Forever (third), River Quoile (fifth) and Deramore (seventh) who between them make up this evening's line-up. Sergeant Bill could be a danger as he is rated at 102 over fences. This sort of rating is suspect given that he is 11 years of age and has never yet won over fences.

READ MORE

JP McManus is providing considerable runner support for these summer jumping meetings and tonight's runner High Gear can outstay his rivals over the three miles of the Mullingar Maiden Hurdle. The Executive will hardly win a prize for imaginative race titles having used Mullingar for a Chase a fortnight ago.

Barrack Buster who was due a hurdles win when beating Mitchella by a couple of lengths at their first August fixture can confirm a preference for Kilbeggan while Michael Hourigan, who has such a good Kilbeggan strike-rate, will go close in the bumper with Caslain Og (8.00). She was fourth in a Galway Festival Bumper won by Arthur Moore's Blanc C'Est Blanc.

Royal Ascot winner Pearl Of Love is set to step up to Group company at the Curragh on Saturday. Mark Johnston's Listed Chesham Stakes winner goes for the Group Two Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes.