Obeaux to beat
DINARIA DES OBEAUX should continue the phenomenal successrate of Gordon Elliott, Gigginstown House Stud and Davy Russell in the Grade 2 Charleville Mares Novice Chase in Limerick tomorrow.
The 140-rated five-year-old has won three of her six outings over fences, including a facile victory at this level in Thurles and, after a solid run at Naas last time, should return to winning ways here.
The selection’s successes have come at Wexford, Clonmel (listed) and Thurles, where she slammed Magic Of Light and her chief rival tomorrow YOUCANTCALLHERTHAT.
She also took on the boys twice, finishing a creditable fourth to stable-companion Death Duty in the Grade 1 Drinmore at Fairyhouse and sixth behind another hugely talented Elliott-trained mare Shattered Love, winner of the JLT at Cheltenham on Thursday, in a Grade 1 three-miler at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Last time, dropping back to two miles, Dinaria Des Obeaux finished a creditable third behind a brace of Willie Mullins mares, Benie Des Dieux and Asthuria in the listed Opera Hat at Naas.
That form, of course, received a massive boost when Benie des Dieux landed the OLBG mares Hurdle (Grade 1) at Cheltenham on Tuesday, beating, among others, last year’s winner Apple’s Jade.
Dinaria Des Obeaux will relish stepping back up in trip tomorrow and is a confident choice to confirm her superiority over Youcantecallherthat, successful at Thurles last time, but well-beaten by the selection twice this season.
The earlier Grade 3 Kerry Group Shannon Spray Mares Novice Hurdle is less straightforward, but affords Ray Hackett’s CRACKERDANCER an opportunity to erase memories of her fall in the Grade 3 won by the exceptional Cheltenham winner Laurina at Fairyhouse.
This mare won three bumpers, including one at tomorrow’s venue and a listed event in Navan. And she made an impressive start over hurdles when scoring at Limerick’s Christmas meeting, pounding her rivals into submission and beating subsequent dual-winner LACKANEEN LEADER (runs again tomorrow) by 25 lengths.
Last time, she attempted to make all but was beaten and fading when crashing two from home by Laurina.
Given time to recover and proven in deep ground, Crackerdancer will be ridden for the first time by Barry John Foley and gets the vote.
In the anticipation of a strong pace to be set by BALBIR DU MATHAN, Gordon Elliott’s, left, VEINARD might open his chasing account in the beginners, having chased home Cadmium on his fencing bow at Fairyhouse.