Timing is great for Minute

LAST MINUTE MAN looks the banker bet on Student Day in Limerick, an eight-race card, featuring the rescheduled, Grade 3 Hugh Mcmahon Memorial Novice Chase.

And the Gordon Elliott-trained Last

Minute Man, carrying the Rooney colours, which will be worn by 2016 runner-up The Last Samurai in Saturday’s Randox Health Aintree Grand National, should justify odds-on favouritism in the INH Stallion Owners Maiden Hurdle.

Similarly, Declan Queally’s Tell Me Annie, clear when falling at the final flight in Cork last time, leaving the consistent Moonlight Escape to score, looks set for compensation in the opening mares maiden hurdle.

The featured novice chase looks wide-open, but is a good opportunity for the Mullins-trained Kemboy to bounce back from his first fence fall in last week’s Boylesports Irish Grand National, for which he started a well-supported 14/1 shot.

Elsewhere, Aidan O’brien’s first two-year-old runners of the season, $1.1 million colt Sergei Prokofiev and The Irish Rover were foiled by the Patrick Prendergast-trained Scitter Scatter, the only runner with experience, in the opening maiden in Dundalk last night.

The odds-on favourite showed definite signs of inexperience, edging right and then left when challenging Ronan Whelan’s mount. But Scitter Scatter prevailed by a short-head, booking her ticket to a listed fillies event at Naas on May 20.

Meanwhile, The Henry de Bromhead-trained Balko Des Flos and Min will be Ireland’s hopes in the Grade 1 JLT Melling Chase in Aintree tomorrow.

Davy Russell will renew his successful partnership with Balko Des Flos while Paul Townend will be on board Min.