Free Expression hasn’t enjoyed the best of fortune in his two starts over fences but a trouble-free round in Limerick’s St Stephen’s Day highlight can see him break his duck over the bigger obstacles.
The JP McManus-owned runner renews rivalry with Outlander from when they clashed at Punchestown last month, a race in which Free Expression was impeded before the straight.
The regard he’s held in is evidenced from how he was immediately upped to Grade One level for the Drinmore Novice Chase and here too he got squeezed for room before the straight before running on to the third to No More Heroes.
A Beginners Chase option has again been spurned in favour of the Grade Two Shannon Airport Novice Chase and Kevin Sexton takes the mount on Free Expression, whose big opposition again looks to be Outlander and the latter's stable companion Avant Tout.
Cousins
The cousins Danny and David Mullins divide up the handful of runners sent to Limerick by their uncle, Willie Mullins, and they should fight out the finish of the four-runner conditions hurdle.
Kalkir started an odds-on favourite to win last year’s big juvenile prize at Leopardstown on St Stephens Day only to find Fiscal Focus too good.
He looked at his best last season when fresh and Kalkir can beat his stable companion Business Sivola in his first start in 10 months.
Brian O’Connell can land the Limerick opener on the soft-ground loving Oiche Mhaith Boy and later is also booked for the McManus-owned Irish Bulletin, who has a first handicap start over fences.
The locally trained hope won a maiden hurdle at last year’s festival and there was enough in his run behind Douvan at Navan to suggest a mark of 102 isn’t harsh.
Bumper
Nina Carberry goes to Down Royal for two rides for Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown Stud team, and Annihilate in particular looks interesting in the bumper.
The four-year-old put in an encouraging effort when fourth to Marakoush over hurdles at Punchestown and trainer Gordon Elliott is not averse to switching them back to the flat.
Carberry gets a spin over flights in one of the maiden hurdles, but Bel Ami de Sivola could find Ontopoftheworld tough to beat.
Good claims
The local team of Colin McBratney and Noel McParlan look to have good claims for collecting the hunters chase with the highly-rated Marito.
Zip Wyatt has hurdles experience from 2014 and ran into a hot one in General Principle on his last start so should be tough to beat in the other maiden.
