TODAY’S GRADE Two feature at Fairyhouse has a fine Grand National pedigree, so the combination of Paul Carberry, Ted Walsh and Southern Vic could be entirely appropriate winners.
Just five will contest the Attheraces Bobbyjo Chase, named after Carberry’s 1999 winner of the Aintree National, but all hold entries in April’s Liverpool spectacular.
Black Apalachi, at 16 to 1 with Power, is the shortest of them in ante-post betting, with last year’s Aintree third Snowy Morning a 20 to 1 shot.
Southern Vic is 25 to 1 after the recent weights announcement, but he is already being touted as a possible successor to Walsh’s National hero Papillon (2000).
A classy young horse, Southern Vic showed more than a glimpse of his old self when chasing home Mansony and the ill-fated Thyne Again here over two miles, and should now relish the distance hike in a race won by Hedgehunter in 2005.
Today’s other Grade Two is the Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle, where Willie Mullins pitches Coffee Tea Or Me straight into graded company.
A Dundalk winner off 66 in December, Coffee Tea Or Me is highly regarded in the Mullins camp and looks to have Jim Gorman’s Down Royal winner Chevalier Country to beat.
It could be another good day overall for Mullins, who will also hope to land the two-and-a-half mile maiden hurdle with Themoonandsixpence.
This one chased home Cockleshell Road here on New Year’s Day, and was disappointing subsequently when only fourth at Naas. He looks worth another shout, however.
Lios A Choill is the latest Mullins bumper hope attempting to earn a Cheltenham ticket, and the trainer believes there still some who can end up joining his ultra-powerful squad at the festival where he is already just 4 to 7 to win the Weatherbys Bumper.
“I’ve got six or seven that are as good as any of the horses that won it in other years. I have some incredible talent there,” he admitted yesterday.
Aggie’s Lad is an interesting runner in the Beginners Chase, but a safer option could be the 110-rated Green Black, who failed over a marathon trip last time but was consistent before that.
