Preview and newsThere may be over four months to the Champion Hurdle but today's Down Royal feature could still play a role in establishing the Irish pecking order for Cheltenham with Farmer Brown possibly set to strike an early blow.
The two miles and the quick ground expected for the Grade Three Anglo Irish Bank Hurdle, a principal appetiser for tomorrow's €140,000 James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase, should be ideal for Farmer Brown who currently rates as one of the outsiders for March's championship.
In fact, in ante-post betting terms, the real interest today could be in Bobs Pride as Dermot Weld's former high-class flat racer is already as low as 16 to 1 for Cheltenham. That is as much a tribute to his trainer's high opinion of him as it is of any hurdling achievement so far.
For a horse capable of winning the 2005 Group Three Ballysax Stakes, it was disappointing how long it took Bobs Pride to appear to get the hang of his new job over jumps but after an ultra-smooth handicap win at Punchestown last April, Weld didn't hesitate to describe him as being well up to Champion Hurdle class.
The Curragh trainer was standing by that yesterday when he also reported: "He has done well over the summer and is fit enough for a race but I would expect him to benefit a lot for it."
Ebaziyan was a shock 40 to 1 winner of last year's Supreme Novices' at Cheltenham and as a son of the Irish Oaks winner Ebadiyla has his own classic flat connections. He is currently rated a 33 to 1 shot for Cheltenham but has to concede weight to today's opposition.
Aitmatov is another contender but he may not be suited by the two-mile trip so considering the distance and the forecast quick ground, it's worth betting that Farmer Brown's finishing kick will decide the outcome.
The other Grade Three on the card is the Scarvagh House Stud Mares Novice Hurdle which fell to Total Enjoyment in 2004 and which this time could provide a five-in-a-row opportunity for Colm Murphy's prolific five-year-old Megan's Joy. Debut is an interesting raider from Nicky Henderson's yard but the biggest danger to Murphy's mare looks like being My Valley.
