Pic D’Orhy can spoil hat-trick ambitions

Pic D’Orhy can spoil Fakir D’oudairies’ hat-trick bid in the Marsh Chase at Aintree tomorrow.

Both horses have the fact that they missed Cheltenham in their favour, but it is not being controversial to say Fakir D’oudairies has not been at his very best this season.

Joseph O’Brien’s stalwart does have a win in a Thurles Grade Two to his name, in which he had the reopposing French Dynamite in behind, but he was handed that on a plate with the fall of Haut En Couleurs.

He was subsequently beaten a long way by Shishkin at Ascot and admittedly so was Pic D’Orhy in the same race, but at least he led Shishkin to the second last.

Pic D’Orhy has been much improved this season and while all his best form over fences is right-handed, he did win a Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, so it appears a flat track is the crucial factor for Paul Nicholls’ charge.

The race over the National fences tomorrow is the 30-runner Randox-sponsored Topham Chase in which Kerry Lee’s Demachine should give punters a run for their money at a big price.

He tends to go well fresh, so it is a bonus he has not run since January and he is just the sort of horse who should take well to the unique test.

Lee has been among the winners of late and this lightly-raced nine-year-old was classy enough to finish second in the Reynoldstown as a novice.

He won a valuable prize at Uttoxeter back in May, yet th re e sub s e que nt d e feat s mean he races off just 1lb higher.

SELECTIONS: AINTREE:

1.45 Complete Unknown, 2.20 Playful Saint, 2.55 Hullnback, 3.30 PIC D’ORHY (NAP), 4.05 Demachine, 4.40 Maximilian, 5.15 Go Dante.

BALLINROBE:

4.50 Workforadime, 5.20 Free Flowing, 5.50 Holmes St George, 6.20 Nine Graces, 6.50 Made In The Woods, 7.20 Fenway Park, 7.50 Rainbow Trail.

4.35 Emperor Of Rome, 5.10 It’ll Do My Day, 5.40 Western Cape, 6.10 Barretstown, 6.40 Smote, 7.10 Clounmacon,

DUNDALK:

CARLTON DARK POINTS FREQUENT FLYER TYLOS IN THE GIVING DUKE OF VERONA HIROMICHI

LEICESTER:

1.30 2.00 2.35 3.10 3.45 4.15 4.55 7.40 Memorial Verse, 8.10 Kuwait Direction.

1.30 Carlton, 2.00 Dark Points, 2.35

CARLTON MAXIMUM IMPACT TIMELESS MELODY GORAK

IN THE GIVING KENSINGTON HIROMICHI

Frequent Flyer, 3.10 Tylos, 3.45 In The Giving, 4.15 Duke Of Verona, 4.55 Hiromichi.

SEDGEFIELD:

2.10 Rambo T, 2.45 Fulgurix, 3.20 Thunderclap, 3.55 Fearless Action, 4.30 Great Raffles, 5.05 Henry Brown, 5.35 Lovin Jukebox.

5.00 Cinnodin, 5.30 Billy

SOUTHWELL:

Bathgate, 6.00 Equiami, 6.30 Gareeb, 7.00 Ebury, 7.30 Mahboobah, 8.00 Mojeyrr, 8.30 Tom Tulliver.