The highlight of the comparative weekend calm before the Cheltenham storm is today's final of the £15,000 Stallion Owners Handicap Hurdle, and Inis Cara is napped to give the Michael Hourigan camp some expenses ammunition for their tilt at Thursday's Gold Cup with Dorans Pride.
For some time, it was an even-money bet that Inis Cara would be accompanying his illustrious stable companion to the Cotswolds, where he held entries in the Sun Alliance Hurdle and the Gold Card Final. But Hourigan was also well aware of this option and, significantly, has come down in its favour.
Inis Cara, who is named after a former international showjumping puissance star ridden by one of the owners, Larry Kiely, has been in fine form, winning at Leopardstown in January and then humping 12 st to victory at Clonmel last month. He may not have beaten much, but Inis Cara impressed Richard Dunwoody in doing it and it's likely that we have yet to see the best of this horse.
Inis Cara faces no easy task against the top-weight Rince Ri and the progressive Garryduff Supreme, plus a number of other promising young horses, but the Hourigan team, including the talented jockey Paul, are in good form at the right time and Inis Cara is selected.
Charlie Swan has been booked to ride Buckside in Wednesday's Festival Bumper, and he will be looking for encouragement when Shean Town goes in the today's Bective Flat Race. Shean Town beat Buckside by a head at Leopardstown last month, which was an impressive effort, and Buckside trotted up in a similar race last Sunday. Shean Town to beat Castlekelly River is the forecast.
It's less easy to be confident about the rest of the Navan card, but Foyle Wanderer should prefer the better ground in the Castletown Handicap Hurdle and go close, while Union Town can reverse Gowran form with Shantarini and beat Bob The Broker, too, in the opener.
At Naas tomorrow, punters shouldn't have long to wait for the bet of the day as Kazaran goes in the opening maiden hurdle. Martin Lynch's string are coming back with a vengeance from the virus and Kazaran looked an assured future winner when running on well in the closing stages to finish third to Strontium and Cloone Bridge at Thurles last month. A repeat of that effort should suffice here.
Arthur Moore and Conor O'Dwyer are fancied to leave for Cheltenham on a winning note courtesy of a double with Over Eager in the Moat Handicap Chase and Mordon Boy in the Foran Novices Hurdle.
