Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
EMERY CAN GO FOURTH
Odds defintiely in Cilaos favour
CILAOS EMERY will be expected to make it four wins from six outings over fences in the Grade 3 Whatoddspaddy? Chase which opens tomorrow’s eight-race card in Naas.
The Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old, a Grade 1 winner as a novice hurdler, has been off the track since mid-november and on ratings has 3lb to find with chief rival Daly Tiger.
But he’s a classy performer and might have the edge in this fascinating four-runner affair.
Cilaos Emery’s chase wins include a defeat of Ballyoisin in the 2019
Hilly Way (Grade 2) in Cork and success in the Poplar
Square (Grade 3) over this course and distance.
Last season, after a first fence fall in the Grade 1
Ladbrokes Dublin Chase
(won by star stable-companion Chacun Pour Soi) at the
Dublin Racing Festival, he reverted to hurdling to land the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park before finishing a creditable fourth, beaten nine and a half lengths behind Epatante in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Cilaos Emery made his seasonal debut in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase in November but, sent off 8/11 favourite, he failed to cope with stable-companion Bachasson – a rock-solid yardstick.
His absence since mid-november is a slight concern. But he should be capable of conceding 9lb to Noel Meade’s Daly Tiger, raised 10lb for his 20/1 success in the Dan & Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse, his second handicap win of the season. And the other pair look out of their depth.
Little more than two weeks before Cheltenham, the featured Grade 2 Paddy Power Betting Shop Novice Hurdle has attracted an understandably modest field.
Although the presence of fellow front-runner Razzle Dazzle Love is a worry, the Willie Mullins-trained course and distance winner Echoes In Rain might prevail.
A keen-going mare, Paul Townend’s mount won her maiden by 15 lengths. Last time, she blazed the trail in the Grade 2 Moscow Flyer won by Dreal Deal at Punchestown.
John Mcconnell’s progressive stayer Streets Of Doyen – a Cheltenham possible – is the highestrated runner in the field but might struggle over the minimum trip.
Willie Mullins and Paul Townend have obvious chances in both divisions of the Paddy Power Livestream Maiden Hurdle, with long absent Egality Mans and Micro Manage respectively.
Micro Manage, too keen on his hurdle debut at Leopardstown over Christmas when third to Get My Drift, is a 104-rated flat performer and took his chance in the Irish St Leger won by Search For A Song last September, having finished third to Delphi in a trial the previous month.
And, if he settles, Micro Manage should prove too strong for Enda Bolger’s (inset) Genois.