Ash Hill will be expected to make a successful start to his hurdling career in the Download The Ladbrokes App Maiden Hurdle in Punchestown.
The five-year-old, trained for Ronnie Bartlett by Joseph O’Brien, made all to win a bumper at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, having shown promise on his racecourse debut behind Battleoverdoyen at Punchestown back in November.
The selection was tried in a Grade 2 event at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown in February and, having made the running, he had been headed and was struggling when hampered turning for home before fading to finish a well-beaten seventh, beaten almost twenty lengths, behind subsequent Cheltenham Bumper victor Envoi Allen.
Ash Hill, which always wears a hood in his races, looks a stayer. So this two and a half mile trip should bring about further improvement. And with Davy Russell in the saddle, he should be tough to beat.
The featured Boost Your Bets On Ladbrokes App Chase looks a head-to-head between Jessica Harrington’s Jett and the Peter Fahey-trained Peregrine Run, a rematch between the pair following their clash in a ‘Grade 3’ at Killarney last month.
On that occasion, Jett made the running, was headed and looked well beaten going to the last before rallying on the run-in and going down by the narrowest margin, a nose.
Today, Jett will meet his conqueror on 8lb. better terms, which should give him the edge. But it might not be that straight-forward.
Peregrine Run went on to land the McHale Mayo National at Ballinrobe, off a mark of 150, getting up late to beat Pylonthepressure and Ask Susan.
Fahey’s charge went up 7lb. for that win and is now rated 4lb. superior to Jett, which is likely to make the running, with longshot Fergiethelegend, and could set things up for Kevin Sexton on Peregrine Run.
Tips
5.40. Count Simon
6.10. Peregrine Run
6.40. Thecraicisninety
7.10. City Ballerina
7.40. Ash Hill (Nap)
8.10. Falak 8.40.
8.40 Watch Guard
Double: The Craicisninety and Ash Hill
O’Hehir's Longshot: PreSentingPrinCeSS (8.10)
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