Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Peregrine will give field a Run for their money
LOUGHRAN’S MOUNT SETS THE STANDARD
THE Peter Fahey-trained Peregrine Run looks the banker bet on today’s seven-race card in Wexford. A four-time winner over hurdles, including a notable Grade 2 success at Cheltenham in November, the seven-year-old made a highly encouraging start over fences in Roscommon recently and, with that experience under his belt, he should land the Pro-form Beginners Chase under Roger Loughran, inset. Peregrine Run completed a four-timer over hurdles between August and November last year, scoring at Down Royal, Gowran Park, Limerick and Cheltenham, where he beat two solid yardsticks, Whilestone and West Approach in a Grade 2. Third in a Grade 2, won by Willoughby Court at Warwick, he finished 11th behind Supasundae in Cheltenham’s Coral Cup on his final hurdle start. He reappeared in Roscommon less than two weeks ago, making his chase debut in a novice which saw him run a cracker to split 142-rated Townshend, a smooth winner, and Potters Point (131), with classy four-year-old Land of hope and glory fourth. A reproduction of that sort of form should suffice tonight, when Roger Loughran’s mount should have most to fear from Roconga, third to Modem in Killarney, and Our Dougal, which crashed at the second last in a race won by Blazer at Punchestown last time. The tough and versatile mare Lilly The Lioness should make a bold bid to return to winning form in the Flood Ironworks Handicap Chase. The 10-year-old has won twice on the flat and three times each over hurdles and fences, her last chase success coming, on her most recent outing over the bigger obstacles, in Killarney in July. Returning after a winter break, Lilly finished a close fourth to Zamira in a flat handicap in Tipperary, an encouraging sign ahead of another, mixed summer campaign. Racing off 121 and with Mark Enright in the saddle, she gets the nod over Mullinavat, beaten off a much lower mark over hurdles at Tramore last time.