Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Tiger set to regain his stripes
SUCCESSFUL on his chase debut over course and distance last month, Tiger Voice will be expected to bounce back from a Punchestown fall in the SANSERV Rated Novice Chase on the first day of Galway’s Bank Holiday weekend meeting.
Unplaced behind Saint Roi – off a mark of 134 – in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, Henry de Bromhead’s charge produced a rocksolid round of jumping to score at this venue five weeks ago, seeing off Ballymacaw and Konitho, with subsequent winner Pakens Rock – a rival again today – in fifth.
Sent off a slight odds-on favourite to follow-up at Punchestown, he looked the likely winner when crashing two from home in the race won by another of today’s rivals Jack Hackett.
Others to note include recent winners Brace Yourself and Chatham Street Lad. But I’ll side with Tiger Voice, the mount of Rachael Blackmore.
The Eoghan O’gradytrained veteran Westerner Point, third off 145 to Aforementioned in the recent Munster National, reverts to hurdling in the W B Gavin & Co. Handicap Hurdle with obvious claims off a hurdle mark of 125 – he won on his most recent start over hurdles at Clonmel last November.
Noel Meade, above, and Finny Maguire have struck up a formidable partnership in bumpers in recent weeks. And further success might be on the cards with Part Time Farmer today as the Westerner gelding, runner-up to Line Break on his only start at Punchestown in February, returns to action. Gordon Elliott’s newcomer Benbulben Boy might prove the biggest threat.