Jess is Life & soul of party

PETER O’HEHIR LIFETIME AMBITION might have the edge over Early Doors in the Jack Tyner Memorial Hunters Chase in Cork.

A four-time winner for Jessica Harrington, for whom he reached a career-high mark of 158, the nine-year-old (above) has won three of her five point-to-points for Pat and Susie Doyle over the winter, at Ballycrystal, Quakerstown and Bellharbour.

He was outpointed by Dinny Lacey in Ballindenisk and, last time, unseated his rider at Lisronagh.

Normally a good jumper, Lifetime Ambition is two years younger than main rival Early Doors, winner of the 2020 Galway Plate (off 139) for Joseph O’brien and now campaigning for Enda Bolger.

A point winner in Oldtown, he was then turned over by Lisleigh Lad in Kildorrery before returning to the track in the Tetratema at Gowran Park, when brushed aside and beaten 10 lengths by Annamix.

It should be a fascinating duel between the pair and, despite Derek O’connor’s tactical genius, the vote goes to Lifetime Ambition.

The Terence O’brientrained Ma Bess has obvious claims in the Cork & Waterford Mares Pointto-point Flat Race on the evidence of her fourth to Aurora Vega in the listed Mucklemeg at Gowran Park last autumn.

But Alan O’sullivan’s mount might not cope with the Henry de

Bromhead-trained Air Of Entitlement, 16 lengths winner of a Lingstown point for Colin Bowe before being bought by Robcour.

She could be anything and, with John Gleeson in the saddle, gets the vote.

Gleeson will also partner Moig South winner Backmersackme, now in the care of Paul Byrne and Emmet Mullins, in the Pegus Horse Feed Point-to-point Flat Race.

And if the market speaks in his favour, the Getaway gelding might be tough to beat.

Earlier, Ross O’sullivan’s Ryehill, narrowly beaten by Saturday’s Joseph O’reilly winner Boss Robin, in Thurles last time, sets the standard in the John Thomas Mcnamara Maiden Hunters Chase.