GAVIN CROMWELL: Brand Ambassador Gavin Cromwell has an exciting weekend ahead with eight runners in total, each of which he previews below.
It was nice to get another winner on the board with Li Mu Bai at Fairyhouse on Wednesday. He was only just touched off on Sunday at Limerick and we were hopeful he’d be in the shake-up off the same mark, so it was good to see him win nicely.
We’ve got a pretty busy weekend with runners at a number of different tracks and here are my thoughts on a handful.
Limerick Saturday
We kick things off with Chasing Abbey in the beginners chase (1.20pm). He hasn’t run too badly on his two starts for us over hurdles and he’s ready to start out over fences here. This is a race for horses currently rated 116 or less over hurdles, so his rating of 109 means he doesn’t have too much to find to hopefully be competitive.
Bread And Butter and Western Run go in the beginners chase (2.30pm). The former was a solid-enough hurdler but is still finding his feet over hurdles. Western Fun makes his debut over the larger obstacles and we’re hopeful he’ll put his best foot forward here.
We run Top Of The Charts in the handicap chase (4.15pm). He was a very good winner of a race at Perth a couple of years ago and he’s probably slightly struggled with the hike in the weights since. He’s only two pounds higher now and has the ability to run well, although it’s a pretty competitive race on paper.
Sligo Sunday
We’re looking forward to running Call Me Dolly in the novice handicap hurdle (3.05pm). Although she only won by a short-head the last day at Punchestown, she probably got a bit lonely in front, and we’d be hopeful she can take the seven-pound rise in her stride. She’d be one of our better chances of the weekend.
Both Wavelength and Walk Me Home take their chance in the handicap hurdle (4.50pm). Both ran over fences last time and the former ran out at Downpatrick which wasn’t ideal! We’re hoping that going back over hurdles will give him a bit of confidence as that’s what he needs at the moment.
Walk Me Home fell on his debut over fences and we’re abandoning that idea currently. He’s just one pound higher than when unseating Mark Walsh at the last and you’d have to think he would have gone very close that day. He hasn’t been as good since, but if he could return to that sort of form he’d have a chance.
Fairyhouse Sunday
April’s Joy showed a good attitude to stick it out at Downpatrick over hurdles and she goes this time on the Flat (5.05pm). She ran nicely over two furlongs shorter in May and hopefully she can do the same over 1m4f here.
