RACING/GOWRAN PREVIEW:THE GOFFS Thyestes Chase may not be the prestige pot it was in its 1960s heyday but Ruby Walsh will still be keen to add it to his big race CV aboard Shakervilz at Gowran today.
Despite Willie Mullins having won the €75,000 feature three times in the past, Walsh wasn’t on board any of them and the Thyestes is a rare big-race blank for the champion jockey.
The all-dominant Mullins pitches four runners into it this afternoon and Walsh’s presence on Shakervilz’s back looks to only add to his credentials as a likely winner.
Warming up for these staying chases with a spin over hurdles is a well-established prep and Shakervilz returned to action with a fine effort at Leopardstown over Christmas when third to Voler La Vedette and Mourad.
Today will be just his seventh start over fences and his winning form over the bigger obstacles has come at shorter distances. However, stamina shouldn’t be any problem to a horse capable of winning over hurdles at three miles.
Of the other Mullins starters, On His Own will attract attention after starting a heavily backed favourite for the Paddy Power at Christmas. He looked well beaten when brought down that day and is unlikely to relish soft going.
Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown team launch a three-pronged attack on a race they won last year with Siegemaster and there is likely to be some interest in Rivage D’Or’s chance, while Davy Russell is on Tharawaat. The novice Start Me Up could end up the best of the trio, though, if repeating his Navan defeat of Berties Dream.
Glam Gerry is another interesting contender despite being hiked 20lb for landing a Leopardstown gamble last time. That was a bad race, however, and he will have to jump significantly better to contend in this.
Zaidpour flies the Mullins flag in the Grade Two John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle and he has looked something like his old Grade One-winning self again in two starts so far this season.
However, he faces a very different proposition now in Voler La Vedette, who starts here instead of taking on Hurricane Fly in Sunday’s Irish Champion Hurdle.
It was very much a case of “job done” for Colm Murphy when his hugely versatile mare landed an elusive Grade One prize in last month’s Hatton’s Grace but a subsequent Leopardstown stroll indicates Voler La Vedette could be getting even better.
“She’s settling so well in her races now and showed she stays three miles well when she won over Christmas. This looked a better opportunity for her than running on Sunday, but there is no easy option and it’s a proper little race,” Murphy said yesterday.
“She seems to have come out of her last race well. This will tell us a lot more about where we’re going to go with her,” the Co Wexford trainer added.
Just five line up for the juvenile conditions hurdle and Goregous Sixty, twice a winner in 11 flat races in France, before winning her second jumps start at Auteuil in September, could be hard to beat.
RYAN Moore’s main task at Meydan today will be to steer Presvis in the Dubai Group Two feature but the top British jockey will also be in action on the Ger Lyons trained The Reaper earlier on the card.
The Reaper takes part in a six-furlong handicap while the other Irish runner is Joanna Morgan’s Moran Gra who runs in a 10 furlong handicap under Shane Foley.
