It's hardly apt to talk of blasts from the past but Aidan O'Brien has one of his increasingly rare National Hunt runners at Tralee today when the four-year-old Patriot Games goes in the £10,000 Deasys Handicap Hurdle.
Patriot Games, along with Istabraq and Theatreworld, is one of the few jumpers to reside beside the blue-blooded Classic hopes at Ballydoyle but he is no mean performer in his own right and is a tentative choice to win today.
Tentative because even with just nine runners this looks a very trappy contest and the fact that Patriot Games is just four is also a concern. Nevertheless, he is decent as fourths in the Glenlivet at Liverpool in April and the Galway Hurdle last month confirmed.
Patriot Games was then taken out of a handicap at Tramore after being reported off his feed and the result of that race has a critical influence on how today's will unfold.
Sparkey Smith was put up 5lb for beating Aerleon Pete at Tramore with Dante's Battle third, Mister Chippy fourth and One More Spin fifth. Throw in Owen Bart's claims off 10-7 and this is difficult to predict. Sparkey Smith is taken to confirm that Tramore form but Patriot Games has had a decent break since Galway and may be just open to some improvement.
The rest of the card has an equally trappy look to it with possibly one exception. Gerry McArdle makes the long journey southwards from Dundalk with the once-raced Paircin for the mares bumper and this one is napped to beat Be My Vixen.
The latter ran a nice race behind to be fourth to Mona Day at Galway and will improve but the book shows how Mona Day struggled behind Smart Project later that week where Paircin ran an encouraging fifth, nine lengths ahead of her. Henry's Girlie ran second at Sligo and should threaten also but Paircin should best her.
Ladies races are not usually the best betting mediums but today's could see a repeat of last year where Shona McDonogh beat Treacy Lynagh in a thriller. This time Lynagh rides the impressive Galway winner Rite Of Spring while McDonogh is on the more experienced Francis Bay. Rite Of Spring caught the eye when beating Just Wondering but she may be a slightly nervous filly and the capable McDonogh is taken to make it two-in-a-row in this contest.
The opening two maidens are fascinating but competitive. High Stakes' run at Leopardstown last month gives him an obvious chance but the claims of Montego, What A Chocalate and Forest Chief cannot be dismissed in the opener while the once-raced Twizzle is preferred to the Rainbow Quest newcomer Serena in the second.
Friday's Kilbeggan winner Laras Grey, owned by a Dunmanway, Co Cork-based syndicate, also looks capable of scoring for the south in the Beginners Chase.
