BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY

Not Ambitious to think of win

BEYOND Ambitious might strike on her hurdling debut in the Get Your Ladbrokes Daily Mares Maiden Hurdle in Punchestown tomorrow.

The lightly-raced Kalanisi mare has already shown a liking for this course, boasts graded bumper form and has been found a good opportunity to start her hurdling career on a high.

Runner-up to Rebel Rose on her debut in Limerick and sixth to Battling Bessie in Cork a year ago, Beyond Ambitious produced a career best effort, when reappearing after an almost 12-month break, in the Grade 3 Weatherbys Mares Flat Race at the festival meeting at this venue last month.

The race was run at a muddling pace, but 200/1 shot Beyond Ambitious came through to lead a furlong and a half from home before being collared late by The Model Kingdom, who was retaining her unbeaten bumper record and registering her third win.

Beyond Ambitious was beaten a half-length, with a number of smart performers behind, including Pink In The Park, favourite and likely winner of tomorrow’s bumper.

And, dropping in class, the Harvey mare went on to triumph in a Wexford bumper three weeks ago, when beating Walk In The Brise readily by a length.

The selection travels well, is sure to be wellschooled and is a confident choice to beat Liz Doyle’s Thurles bumper winner Mitiva, whose jumping was quite sloppy on her hurdling bow in Cork, when third behind Fascinating Shadow and subsequent winner Igraine.

The Joseph O’brientrained Fire Attack, successful on his fencing bow at Wexford back in October and having only his fourth chase start, should take all the beating in the featured Ladbrokes Committed To Gambling Betting Handicap Chase.

A Westerner gelding, he was tried in Grade 1 novice company on the back of his Wexford success and, having made the running, was held in third spot when unseating Donagh Meyler at the final fence in the race won by Master Mcshee at Limerick’s Christmas meeting.

In his only subsequent outing, Fire Attack chased home the multiple winner Ciel De Neige in a rated event at this track in February.

Not seen since, Fire Attack will be helped by Shane Fitzgerald’s 5lb. claim and, open to more improvement, is preferred to dual course-winner Snugsborough Hall and top-weight Birchdale.

Willie Mullins should land the mares bumper with Pink In the Park, a beaten favourite in each of her three starts since scoring impressively on her debut at Listowel back in September.

But she has competed at a high level and this drop n class should see her return to winning form.

TOP FORM Fire Attack (right) has run against the likes of Appreciate It in the past