A BRUISED FOOT ruled Vital Plot out of last month’s Galway Hurdle, but Dermot Weld’s charge can make up for lost time in today’s Listowel festival feature.

Eighteen runners line up for the €42,500 Guinness Handicap Hurdle, and Weld has booked Paul Townend for Vital Plot who will be having his first start over jumps since falling in January’s Pierse Hurdle.

The Curragh trainer gave the grey a couple of starts on the flat prior to Galway and made no attempt to hide his belief that Vital Plot held a major shot in the big hurdle event.

Missing that was disappointing, but better ground today should be in Vital Plot’s favour.

The ground will also be a plus for Zarinava, while Dani California represents the Ruby Walsh-Willie Mullins team. But Vital Plot can be the centrepiece of a good afternoon generally for Weld and Townend.

Weld will be hoping Silver Shoon can make it 13 lucky in the opening maiden.

The filly has been placed a remarkable 10 times in her dozen starts, and some of her juvenile form makes it very surprising she has still to break her duck.

Today will be just her second time at seven furlongs and that shouldn’t be a problem judged on her sole start at the distance last year on the all-weather at Dundalk.

Townend, in turn, teams up with Willie Mullins for the ride on Franklins Trail in the two-mile handicap. The eight-year-old was off for two-and-a-half years before returning with a fine run at The Curragh, and his subsequent start on very heavy ground at Galway may be best ignored.

Aggie’s Lad is weighted to go very close for Tony Martin and Paul Carberry in the three-mile handicap hurdle, while Faltering Fullback’s hurdles form makes him a major contender in the Beginners Chase.