RACING:THE LAST part of the wholesale rescheduling imposed by the terrible December weather unfolds this New Year's weekend and it can eventually all work out well for Back Of The Pack at Punchestown this afternoon.
Colin Kidd’s prolific winner is one of seven lining up for the Grade Three Lombardstown Mares Novice Chase which has eventually found a home after being repeatedly called off during the last few weeks.
Along with tomorrow’s Porterstown Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse, which was originally due to be run over a month ago, the two- mile contest is a welcome addition to this weekend’s action.
Conditions will be testing at Punchestown and that will suit Back Of The Pack who is on a four-timer and who kicked off her winning run with a victory over two and three quarter miles at Listowel.
Two more wins at two and a half included seeing her put the likes of Mr Cracker in his place and Back Of The Pack looks capable of grabbing today’s €38,500 feature by the scruff of the neck from the start.
Cool Quest and Blazing Tempo renew rivalry from Clonmel last month where the latter won despite not jumping particularly well at times. Back Of The Pack can exploit any such chink today.
The juvenile maiden hurdle has a recent history of throwing up a decent winner and Dermot Weld introduces a very interesting newcomer in Unaccompanied.
A rare National Hunt runner for Moyglare Stud, the daughter of Danehill Dancer won two of her four starts on the flat this year and ran off a mark of 95 in the Irish Cambridgeshire. She doesn’t represent the typical profile of a Weld dual-purpose horse and it will be intriguing to see how she gets on in her jumping debut.
Jumbo Rio was a Grade One winner at Punchestown as a juvenile but this time faces a tricky looking field in the two-and-a-half-mile conditions hurdle, including the Tara Hurdle runner-up Stonemaster and On The Way Out who has just as good a figures chance as Jumbo Rio.
Edward O’Grady’s tough operator rarely runs a poor race though and could be the safest option in a trappy heat.
Luska Lad, third to Hurricane Fly on Wednesday, is an eye-catching topweight in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle and even with 12st will be hard to beat if lining up. Killyglen is due to get two stone from Luska Lad and there is encouragement to be taken from his last hurdles start when finding only Silverhand too good at Thurles.
