DRIVING FORCE
Eight rivals won’t want to face the Music in opener
THE Gordon Elliott-trained Music Drive might get punters off to a flyer on today’s seven-race jumps card in Galway.
The five-year-old won his bumper at Naas in February, having chased home the classy Redemption Day (made Facile Vega work hard for victory in the Grade 1 bumper at Punchestown) on his racecourse debut at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting and won a point-to-point at Monksgrange for Colin Bowe.
Music Drive was considered good enough to contest the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in March and wasn’t disgraced in finishing eighth behind Facile Vega.
And he ended his bumper campaign by finishing fifth to Tag Man at the Punchestown Festival.
Proven in soft ground, and with the Elliott team in good early-season form, Music Drive, with Jack Kennedy on board (he returned from injury in Tipperary yesterday), should be tough to beat.
Elliott and Kennedy will also team-up with four-year-old chasing debutant Iberique Du Seuil in the Race In Pink Raceday On Sunday 30th October Beginners Chase.
The Cullentra gelding won a Grade 2 juvenile event at Fairyhouse at Easter, is built to be a chaser, had a recent run in the Lartigue at Listowel and will be helped by his four-year-old allowance.
But Kennedy’s mount might not cope with ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s Hallowed Star, out of the first two only once in five outings at Ballybrit.
Winner of handicap hurdles at the last two festivals here, off marks of 121 and 128, The gelding failed to cope with Peter Fahey’s mare Sit Down Lucy on his fencing debut over course and distance last time.
He did very little wrong that day and, although conceding 9lb to Iberique Du Seuil, might have the edge.
The Elliott-trained Frontal Assault, runner-up to Lord Lariat in the Boylesports Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse when last seen, returns to action in the Mongey Communications Chase and is suited by race conditions.
If close to full fitness, the seven-year-old should prove a tough nut to crack. If a bit short, he might struggle against the race-fit,
Willie Mullins-trained Jon Snow, off the mark over fences, on his second attempt, at Killarney in August.
A three-time winner over hurdles, Jon Snow had shaped with promise on his chasing debut at the festival here, finishing third behind subsequent Grade 3 winner Enniskerry.
But, in receipt of 7lb and with plenty of experience under his belt, Frontal
Assault should prevail.
And Gavin Cromwell might take the Guinness Handicap Chase with the talented but enigmatic mare
Jeremys Flame, a beaten odds-on favourite in Bellewstown last time, but holding every chance on her sixth behind Gabbys
Cross and subsequent Kerry
National winner Busselton in the Blazers here at the festival.