The Tipperary track, purportedly the focus of IHA closure plans, may not be the apple of authority's eye, but with 113 horses declared to run over a marathon eight- race slog this evening, trainers evidently have no such problems.
What could be a problem, however, is the weather which has provoked a 7.00 inspection for this morning. Charles O'Brien has Rainswept in the Tipperary Town & District Maiden, and with Christy Roche on board, the Selkirk gelding is taken to win.
Roche's presence on Rainswept's back is significant, considering that Aidan O'Brien's Star Quality makes her debut.
Rainswept showed enough in two runs last year to suggest he can win a race of this sort. Both races were at the Curragh, and the first was particularly encouraging, with Rainswept a fast-finishing third to the useful Yorba Linda on soft ground.
Jim Bolger's Misniuil can improve enough from a Naas fifth to Suddenly to take a hand in the finish of the opener, while the other flat race on the card can go to Sea Fisher, who was unlucky in running at Tralee last time.
The amateur maiden hurdle has been divided and, in the first division, it's hard to get away from Lanturn, who won a maiden hurdle at Galway last year, only to be later disqualified. In the second part Mouse Morris's Pharadiso should go close. Tom Foley's Laylann won a Gowran bumper in good fashion and will be hard to beat in the last; but Lanturn's trainer Pat Hughes's hopes of a double with Mumaris may be foiled by An Modh Direach in the two-mile maiden hurdle.
