RESPECT IS BACK
ROAD To Respect will be expected to make a successful seasonal debut and repeat last year’s victory in the Grade 3 Irish Daily Star Chase in Punchestown.
The Noel Meade-trained seven-yearold landed this prize 12 months ago before finishing second to one of today’s rivals, Outlander, in the Grade 1 Jnwine.com Champion Chase in Down Royal, for which he’ll have to be supplemented this year.
He produced a career best effort when beating subsequent Ryanair winner Balko Des
Flos and Outlander in the Leopardstown Christmas
Chase (Grade 1) and ran creditably, although disappointing connections, when fourth to Native River in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
And he ended his season on this track, when a beaten favourite and third to Bellshill in the Coral Punchestown Gold Cup.
Improvement can be expected from Road To Respect this season and he should kick-start his campaign here by giving Sean Flanagan his first success since returning after injury.
Already a three-time winner over fences, Ornua - trained by Henry de Bromhead (inset) - is expected to successfully concede weight to his five rivals in the Grade 3 Buck House Novice Chase.
Successful at Wexford and Newton Abbot he was collared late by Rashaan at Galway but bounced back to winning form at Roscommon last time when beating Cadmium in a Grade 3, when a change of tactics worked well.
Meeting Cadmium on 3lb. worse terms today, Ornua should confirm that form, whether he blazes the trail or is held up by Dylan Robinson.
Others to consider are four-year-old Mitchouka, a last fence faller when set to make a winning start over fences in Gowran recently and set to receive a whopping 16lb. form Ornua, and Aidan Howard’s classy Galway winner Winter Escape.
Gordon Elliott’s Kuiper Belt is napped in the Winter Warmer Bundle Handicap Hurdle while his stablemates Batts Rock and Empire Burleque might dominate the opener, with preference for Davy Russell’s mount.
RUBY Walsh was back in the winner’s enclosure, on his third ride since returning from injury, when My Sister Sarah justified 4/11 favouritism on her hurdling debut in Punchestown yesterday.
The Roscommon bumper winner was the first leg of a double for champion trainer Willie Mullins, also successful with debutante Royal Illusion in the bumper.
Gordon Elliott was also on the mark as Smiling Eliza claimed the opening juvenile hurdle under Jack Kennedy.