SATURDAY PREVIEW: TRAINER MICK MURPHY will be hoping to add an Irish flavour to the finale of the British flat season on the turf this afternoon at Doncaster when Menwaal runs in the November Handicap, writes Brian O'Connor
Former champion jockey Jamie Spencer teams up with the Irish hope after his originally intended mount Tarkheena Prince was balloted out.
Menwaal is as low as 10 to 1 in some ante-post lists for the €104,866 event over a mile and a half and Murphy is hopeful of a good run after the horse's victory at Naas last month.
"I think he has improved since Naas. The ground should be fine at Doncaster but it looks a competitive race," Murphy said yesterday. "I suppose Luca Cumani's horse (Presvis) would be the one that stands out but our lad is in good form."
Other Irish interest overseas this weekend includes Michael Kinane's trip to Italy tomorrow where the 13-times champion jockey will be in Group One action in the Premio Roma aboard the locally-trained Cima De Triomphe.
Frankie Dettori will ride the Mark Johnston-trained filly Nahoodh in this race while Kinane is also scheduled to ride the Michael Jarvis-trained Pressing in the Group Two Premio Ribot on the Rome card.
The focus at home will be over the jumps with Naas today hosting an above-average Beginners Chase where Rare Bob will be hoping for a change of luck.
The Dessie Hughes-trained six- year-old has been frustrating to follow but the Curragh trainer's belief that maturity would see him improve significantly looked to be proved right at Punchestown last time when he just edged out Trafford Lad in a thrilling finish.
Unfortunately the pair came close together on the run-in and the positions were reversed in the stewards room.
Rare Bob won't have it easy today either as Jayo and Made In Taipan have both been very decent hurdlers and Wins Now brings experience from last year. However a repeat of the Punchestown effort should be good enough.
River Liane, a major fancy for last season's Fred Winter Hurdle at Cheltenham, returns to action in today's Listed race where he gets a useful looking 6lb from the topweight Beau Michael. Davy Russell's mount won well at Limerick last month, however, and can make that run count.
Noel Meade's Cleni Boy was a Grade One placed novice over hurdles and successfully made the transfer to fences at Down Royal last Christmas. He would probably prefer further than the distance of today's handicap chase. However, Cleni Boy also looks attractively weighted at the bottom of the field.
