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29th April 2016
04:02pm BST
It's only open to horses that are owned by farmers in the Kildare Hunt and teenager Shin A Vee is defending his crown. We've made him the second favourite, and he's popular, behind Grangeclare Rosa but money is also coming for Hasty Times, also trained by Katie Walsh's husband Ross O'Sullivan. A quirky race might be one worth taking a punt on, so I'll go with the latter.
Being ladies day, it would be quite fitting if a mare won the feature, and Vroum Vroum Mag could well do. She's unbeaten in nine races since coming to Ireland, but this will be the first time she takes on the boys. One of her biggest worries will be My Tent Or Yours, who is one of a number of horses who Nicky Henderson has brought back from the abyss this season having come second to Annie Power at Cheltenham and Aintree after two years off the track.
He won't appreciate the easier going and is weak in the betting today, but I think I am going to go against the grain on this one and side with him. I think Vroum Vroum Mag will be hard to beat, but I've liked her more over fences than hurdles, and with it being so tight between the pair, I'm picking the bigger priced of the duo.
The Champion Novice Hurdle has another popular female contender in Jer's Girl who's proved a profitable purchase for JP McManus. She was massively impressive in a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse and is red hot in the market today, unlike Michael O'Leary's two representatives, A Toi Phil and Disko, who are both on the drift.
Jett, who's brothers Jezki and Jetson have both won Grade 1s at this festival, will like the step up in trip and at double digits odds could be worth an each way wager. Jer's Girl however looks all class and I think she's the likely winner.
Elsewhere on the card On The Fringe has won the Champion Hunters Chase every other year since 2010, and last year and is going for a Goliath 'double treble' in winning at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown as he did last year. He faces Salsify, who we've seen interest in this morning and the two horses that chased him home at Cheltenham also line up; Marito, and Paint The Clouds, whose trainer Warren Greatrex won the big one yesterday with One Track Mind at 10/1.
Nian Carberry won the opening race of the festival and I think she will close the curtains by winning the last aboard On The Fringe.
