The forecast from Met Eireann yesterday evening of heavy overnight rain was not good news for the Naas Executive who have been looking forward to a crowd pulling clash this afternoon between a former Tote Gold Cup winner Imperial Call and Hennessy Gold Cup winner Danoli.
Tom Foley made it clear yesterday that while he was happy with Danoli's condition, he would not want to see him exposed to bad ground. A decision on whether he runs will be made this morning.
In the light of the setbacks that Foley and the horse have had to endure such caution is quite understandable. Heading for 11 Danoli is approaching the veteran stage and the last thing he needs is another time-devouring setback.
Danoli had his first start of the current season in the Kilkenny Irish Beer Champion Chase at Gowran Park and for a horse in need of one or more runs, it was a credible effort to finish third to Dorans Pride and this week's Cork winner Hill Society.
Where Imperial Call is concerned the novelty will be a new partner Paul Carberry substituting for his grounded regular associated Conor O'Dwyer.
In the belief that the ground will not favour Danoli even if he runs and that Imperial Call may find the distance short of his best, I oppose them both with Opera Hat.
This is her first outing of the season but I remember how well she ran first time out last year in the Kerry National won by Dorans Pride. Now she is back to a far more suitable distance and her favourite circuit, one on which she has scored nine times from a career total of 14 victories.
The tragedy associated with Our Man killed at the ninth fence in the Mumm Melling Chase at Aintree robbed Opera Hat of her rightful share of credit for defeating Or Royal by almost two lengths. He had run second to One Man (levels) in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
This was John Fowler's biggest win in England and as for Valerie Cooper whose colours were carried it was an especially poignant triumph. Twenty three years earlier Liverpool had been the scene of a superb Grand National success going to L'Escargot a horse picked out for Raymond Guest, the former American Ambassador to Ireland, by her husband the late Tom Cooper. Lanturn has the same 3lb claimer aboard as when making his chasing debut at Naas over 2 miles. On that occasion the punters loyalties were almost equally divided between Promalee at 9 to 4, Feathered Leader at 5 to 2 and Dudley Do Right at 11 to 4.
Those away from the course who named the favourite on their docket and while the other pair of market rivals offered modest opposition, Lanturn ran a cracking race and Ruby Walsh had to drive hard for home to win by a neck.
Barry Cash was another who rode a strong finish recently. This was at Cork on Thursday where he got Fadoudal Du Cochet home by a head in a maiden hurdle. In the opening race today, he again rides a fancied Arthur Moore horse Star Service who will go well against the likes of Its Time For A Win, Johann Strauss and Okay Ocee.
