Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IRISH RESULTS
TAKE a chance on progressive Chosen Mate to upstage solid yardstick Jetez in the Grade 2 Paddy Power Onside App Novice Hurdle in Naas tomorrow.
Chosen Mate graduated from the point-to-point sphere – in which he triumphed for Colin Mckeever at Loughbrackland – and made a successful start for his current handler Gordon Elliott when landing a Fairyhouse maiden hurdle in emphatic style last month.
The Chosen Well gelding was tried in listed company at Punchestown two weeks ago and, well-supported, looked the likely winner when edging past Sinoria before failing to cope with the renewed effort of Henry de Bromhead’s mare, which battled back to triumph by three quarters of a length.
Sinoria, to which he was conceding 6lb, now has a mark of 135, which gives an indication of Chosen Mate’s effort.
And in the belief that Chosen Mate will step-up again tomorrow, he gets the vote to foil 136-rated Jetez.
Doctor Phoenix (inset) will bid to repeat last year’s win in the Grade 3 Whatoddspaddy? Chase over two miles, which has attracted just four runners.
Conqueror of Alisier D’irlande 12 months ago, Elliott’s charge has failed to impress this season and finished ten lengths behind Cadmium when they filled fourth and seventh positions in the Leopardstown handicap won by Whisperinthebreeze last time.
Trained by Willie Mullins, Cadmium has scored twice over the minimum trip and finished fourth to Delta Work in the Grade 1 Drinmore at Fairyhouse.
He lacks the experience of Doctor Phoenix but boasts better recent form and should have the edge.
The Joseph O’brien-trained Midnight Run, a convincing winner on his debut at Galway back in October, ran a cracker against the very smart Envoi Allen in a listed event at Navan before Christmas, with subsequent winner Run Wild Fred back in third.
And, ridden again by Tom Hamilton, he should prove very tough to beat in tomorrow’s finale, the Paddy Power (Pro-am) INH Flat Race, in which the other Gigginstown runner Column Of Fire, impressive winner of Navan bumper before having two runs over hurdles, is the chief threat.
In the opener, the Willie Mullinstrained Fast Rock, which showed signs of inexperience when making the running on his hurdle debut at Cork in early January, looks the one to beat.
The five-year-old bumped into the smart juvenile Fakir D’oudairies, which has since triumphed at Grade 2 level and is a leading fancy for Cheltenham, with a rating of 146.