Racing: James Bowe's stalwart mare Solerina looks to have been left with a glorified penalty kick opportunity today but there will also be many at Naas hoping for a penalty kick-style performance from a rising young star of the hurdling game in Sweet Wake.
Noel Meade's ex-German horse burst on the scene with a jumping debut at Leopardstown over Christmas that had his trainer bubbling with excitement and the bookmakers rushing into slash mode.
The former Group Two winner on the flat is already as low as 7 to 1 favourite for the Supreme Novices' at Cheltenham and another silky-smooth performance today in the Irish Racing Writers' Novice Hurdle will at least see that position consolidated.
A slight concern on the back of that four-length victory at Leopardstown is that some of those behind Sweet Wake have hardly franked the form but the winner could hardly have been more impressive and Meade clearly thinks the world of him.
Solerina will be long odds-on to repeat her 2004 success in the conditions hurdle after Tom Mullins's decision to bypass the race with his double Grade One winner Asian Maze. "Her bloods were only ordinary this morning and I don't want to take on Solerina when we're not 100 per cent. That would not be fair on our mare," he said yesterday.
"We will see how she is next week. There is the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday and also the Galmoy at Gowran as options. But I'm in no rush with her. We still have a few weeks because she doesn't need a lot of racing and I will wait until she is 100 per cent before unleashing her," Mullins added. Asian Maze is a general 10 to 1 shot for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle but could yet also take a shot at the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.
The Woodlands Park Novice Chase sees the Grade One winner Southern Vic concede weight all round but Ted Walsh's dour stayer, who will be ridden by Conor O'Dwyer, looks up to the task. Southern Vic's old rival Slim Pickings has another crack at him as does the Leopardstown runner-up Homer Wells.
Ring Of Beara could have run into a well handicapped winner in Heez A Wonder at Leopardstown and looks worth a chance in the handicap chase.
Now that Jessica Harrington's horses are showing signs of a return to form it will be interesting to see how Knight Legend goes in the opener. Mattock Ranger, however, could be the safer option.
