Gordon’s ready to Blow hot

FOG could cause problems for today’s eight-race card in Fairyhouse where Blow By Blow, now with Gordon Elliott, is due to make his eagerly-awaited hurdling debut.

Beaten on his debut, Blow By Blow completed a tremendous bumper hat-trick for Gigginstown and Willie Mullins in the early months of 2016, scoring at Navan, Fairyhouse and Punchestown.

At Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting, he got the better of the classy Death Duty - a Grade 1 winning novice hurdler last season and a leading fancy for a Grade 2 novice chase at Punchestown on Sunday - and ended his season with a convincing defeat of Moon Racer and Bacardys in the Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown Festival.

Blow By Blow’s absence is a concern and he’s sure to improve for the run. But, with Jack Kennedy on board, his class should see him through.

Elsewhere on today’s card, the combination of Elliott, Kennedy and Gigginstown might also strike with the progressive Monkshood in the INH Stallion Owners Novice Hurdle, unless the two and a half miles on the inside track doesn’t provide a sufficient test of stamina.

Open to improvement, this Downpatrick maiden winner is preferred to 129-rated Minella Beau and Aeglos, third to subsequent Grade 3 winner Just Janice at Galway last time.