Copyright irishexaminer
He has never raced over a trip as far as this but that is only worthy of consideration because it is his first run of the season and he is entitled to need the outing. However, that’s an extremely minor concern as he put up what was, arguably, the best performance of his career to date when winning the Celebration Chase at Sandown on return from his long absence. Former Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles is an interesting rival. He likes to go on about his business from an early stage and if there is a chink in the armour of the selection and Gentleman De Mee, he will expose it. At double-figure odds, he is not unappealing. Mullins saddles Spindleberry in the listed T.A. Morris Memorial Irish EBF Mares’ Chase, and she can maintain her unbeaten record over fences. A useful hurdler, she has brought her form to a whole new level since being sent over the larger obstacles, and there is no reason to believe she has yet found her ceiling in that sphere. She has previous with chief rival Bioluminescence, which she beat by six and a half lengths when they clashed in February at Fairyhouse. While she is 12lbs worse off this time, she was stretching right away in the closing stages and value for even more than the winning margin. She can confirm the form despite the turnaround. Kobalt St Georges was a well-backed winner of a handicap chase just two weeks ago at this venue, and can follow up in the Prior Park Service Station Clonmel Handicap Chase. The conditions will be a little more testing this time but that is of little concern. He gives the impression he will be a considerably better chaser than he was a hurdler and yet on ratings he is rated only 6lbs higher. With Robert Tyner’s team in great form, he can continue to make hay.
