Racing: Limestone Lad will bid to lift the Stayers' crown at the Punchestown Festival despite his trainer believing that three miles is not his best trip.
Michael Bowe reported yesterday that the popular horse is winding down after a third placing to Baracouda and Iris's Gift at Cheltenham last week. He also refused to blame a short bout of coughing before the festival for Limestone Lad's defeat.
"I've looked at the tape of the race over and over again and I've come to the conclusion that however many times he met those two horses, he would still finish third. It was an exceptionally high-class race," Bowe said yesterday.
"Looking at it, it's obvious that two and a half miles has always been his ideal trip.
"He gets three miles when he manages to get the others off their feet at the two and a half mark. But at that level he got tired from the last.
"He was actually devastated after the race. They know when they've been beaten and I've never seen him as put out. There was no consoling him. It took a couple of days for him to cheer up," Bowe added.
Limestone Lad's only remaining target this season will be the Kevin McManus Champion Stayers' Hurdle, a race he won last year by six lengths from Bob Justice.
"The going was fast when he won there last year, so that won't be a problem. He has come out of Cheltenham in great shape but there's nothing for him before Punchestown, so he's just winding down a bit," Bowe said.
It will be interesting to note the running of Nobody Told Me at Clonmel today on the back of a Willie Mullins-trained double at Wexford on Monday.
A repeat of her second to Friends Amigo at Naas would give her the clear winning of the mares novice hurdle. However, the Mullins team have been inconsistent and maybe an alternative could be Baily Mist.
Lasting Lady goes in the handicap hurdle and a six-length second to Alphazar at Fairyhouse three weeks ago reads pretty well in this context.
The Galway Plate runner-up Wotsitooya hasn't run since November but brings a 113 rating to the conditons hurdle party. Dromlease Express trumps that however and could be the winning answer.
A decision on whether to allow on-course bookmakers to use betting exchanges has been postponed by the Levy Board.
The board, facing a split between independent members who are in favour of allowing hedging by on-course layers and representatives of the Bookmakers' Committee and the British Horseracing Board who appear to be against, will now seek further legal advice and vote on the issue at its meeting in April.
Kildare jockey Ruby Walsh landed a treble at Fontwell yesterday for trainer Paul Nicholls on Julie's Leader (evens), Howdydoody (2 to 1) and Cobreces (1 to 4).
