PENNY SET TO GIVE HUNDRED PER CENT

A PENNY A HUNDRED will be expected to land the Grade 3 Irish EBF Shannon Spray Mares Novice Hurdle in Limerick tomorrow.

Representing Willie and Danny Mullins, this mare won a summer bumper in Sligo before making a successful start to her hurdling career, at this venue, in October when beating Cut The Rope over two miles.

Since then, A Penny A Hundred has filled the runner-up berth in both starts, outpointed by high-class mares on both occasions.

No match for Jetara in a listed event at Punchestown in December, she then bumped into classy, Cheltenham-bound stable-companion Jade De Grugy in the Grade 3 Solerina at Fairyhouse.

Rated 133, the Closutton mare sets a decent standard and, on a line through Look To The West, should have the edge over Gavin Cromwell’s potentially progressive Punchestown winner Bioluminscence.

Ahead of a busy week at Cheltenham, Daryl Jacob should make his flying visit to Limerick worthwhile on board Joseph O’brien’s Intellotto in the opening Panoramic restaurant At Limerick 4-Y-0 Hurdle.

Placed in two of his three starts on the flat, this Lope De Vega chestnut gelding was a surprise winner on his hurdle debut at Leopardstown over Christmas before being tried in Grade 1 company at the same track last time.

Close up for most of the journey, Intellotto had to settle for seventh spot, beaten just nine lengths, behind a bunch of Cheltenham-bound rivals, headed home by Kargese.

Dropping in class, Intellotto should be tough to beat here, with shock debut winner Karl Des Tourelles (right) his most likely threat.

And the Eddie Cawley-trained Chosen Diamond, second to the progressive Aodhan May in Navan last week and reverting to chasing, might give Jordan Gainford a pre-cheltenham boost by taking the Parade Ring Bar Novice Handicap Chase.