GRANGEE’S HURDLING BOW TO BE A SUCCESS

A CLASSY bumper performer last season, the Willie Mullins-trained Grangee will be expected to make a winning start to her hurdling career in a division of the St Peter’s Dunboyne GAA Maiden Hurdle in Fairyhouse.

The five-year-old Great Pretender mare won three bumpers, starting in Galway 13 months ago and progressed, after a third to Eileendover in a listed event at Market Rasen in

January to land the Grade 2 mares’ bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in February, beating Party Central.

Grangee (above) then took her chance in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and, although unable to make an impression, made some late headway to finish sixth behind classy stable-companions Sir Gerhard and Kilcruit.

And the Closutton mare rounded-off her season in style, justifying 5/6 favouritism in a Grade 3 mares’ event at the Punchestown Festival, beating Choice Of Words by seven lengths.

On the basis of that bumper form, Grangee looks a very interesting hurdling recruit. And, with Bryan Cooper in the saddle, the Mullins mare should be tough to beat today, given a fluent round of jumping.

The other division of this two-mile maiden hurdle looks more competitive and will feature a clash of three promising last-time-out bumper winners from top stables.

Gordon Elliott’s Gringo D’aubrelle bolted-up in a Down Royal bumper, having chased home subsequent Grade 2 winner Blazing

Khal in a maiden hurdle in Galway on his previous start.

And the Noel Meadetrained Harald Hardrad overcame a lengthy absence to land his bumper in Clonmel recently.

But the one I like is the Willie Mullins-trained Adamantly Chosen, gutsy winner of the Goffs Land Rover Bumper at the Punchestown Festival on his only start, form boosted when the runner-up Springwell Bay scooted home an impressive winner, for Jonjo O’neill in Market Rasen last week.

Although largely disappointing when beaten ten lengths by My Mate Mozzie, the Gordon Elliotttrained Chemical Energy makes plenty of appeal in the Christmas Party Rated Novice Hurdle.

He struggled over the minimum trip in the Grade 3 For Auction and was left a remote second by the last-flight fall of stablemate Boothen Boy.

But Chemical Energy, a wide-margin winner of bumpers in Roscommon and Down Royal and 11th in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, looked a smart prospect when landing his maiden hurdle at Navan in September.

Elliott has booked Shane Fitzgerald to claim 5lb. off Chemical Energy and the Well Chosen gelding gets the nod over Lunar Display,.