LET’S HAVE A BEACH PARTY

THE high-class Mala

Beach is a confident choice to land the Grade 3 Imperial Call Chase at Cork, where Gordon Elliott and Willie Mullins are likely to trade blows.

A winner of the Troytown Chase earlier in the season, Mala Beach bounced back to form with a win in a conditions chase at Down Royal last week.

On that occasion he ran out a clear-cut winner and he had today’s rival Val De Ferbet well beaten in fourth. The shorter trip will suit Val De Ferbet, but the testing going is ideal for Mala Beach.

The most valuable event on the card is the following handicap hurdle, where the Mullins-trained lightweight Lareena makes plenty of appeal.

She beat a useful type in Awayinthewest last time and before that she only just lost out to the subsequent Grade 3 winner Lackaneen Leader.

That level of form suggests Lareena could be a well handicapped mare and she is preferred to the promising Spades Are Trumps.

Bleu Et Rouge is another likely winner for the Mullins team as he drops in class for the conditions hurdle.

Brelade is an interesting rival as he showed up well before eventually finishing seventh in the County.

Burgas was very disappointing at Gowran last time out, but he could be good enough in the beginners chase.