Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Fortune’s Mega chance to start season in triumph
& JURY SUPPORTS ELLIOTT’S HOPE OF DOUBLE
CHASING debutant Jury Duty and Grade 1 winner Mega Fortune should double-up for Gordon Elliott in Limerick tomorrow.
On the second day of the Greenmount track’s weekend meeting, when the €100,000 J T Mcnamara Ladbrokes Munster National will present a tough puzzle for punters, Jury Duty sets a high standard in the Racing Post Beginners Chase while long odds-on favourite Mega Fortune is impossible to oppose in the opening three-runner conditions event.
A winner of two handicap hurdles in Navan last winter, Jury Duty finished a creditable third to Presenting Percy in the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham in March and ended his campaign when sixth to Unowhatimeanharry in the Grade 1 stayers event at the Punchestown Festival.
The Well Chosen gelding has always looked a chaser-in-themaking and looks a cut above this opposition. A safe round of jumping should see Davy Russell’s mount triumph, at the expense of WISHMOOR.
Winner of the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown in February and runner-up to Defi Du Seuil in the Triumph at Cheltenham, Mega Fortune has been found an ideal opportunity to launch his season in the Maurice Power Solicitors 4-Y-0 Hurdle.
He has been off the track since finishing fourth to Bapaume in a Grade 1 at Punchestown and should have little more than a public ‘school’ here.
Formerly trained by Sandra Hughes (now retired) and having his first run for Willie Mullins, TOTAL RECALL will start favourite for the Munster National and is, potentially, well-handicapped off 129, with Ruby Walsh doing 10-5.
It’s a typically tough renewal, with five Mcmanus-owned contenders and four representing Gigginstown in a field which includes two previous winners – Raz De Maree (2012) and Shanpallas (2014).
My tentative selection is the Charles Byrnes-trained ROCK
ON FRUITY, off bottom-weight and with in-form Donie Mcinerney claiming a valuable 7lb.
Raised 7lb for a handicap success at Kilbeggan, this fellow failed by a half-length to Landofhopeandglory in a Grade 3 novice over an inadequate trip at Roscommon last time, when he made a costly mistake at the second last.
He has plenty of experience over fences and might reward each-way support here.