It may be a relatively low-key €8,000 midweek beginners chase but Sligo’s opener today is set to see the debut over fences of two JP McManus-owned star mares with Dressedtothenines potentially a class removed from her opposition.
The other McManus runner, Speckled Wood, is hardly a back number and will always be special to the champion owner as she’s a daughter of the top-class Like-A-Butterfly.
But Dressedtothenines comes to her new chasing career on the back of a hat-trick of hurdles wins last season, culminating in a Grade Two defeat of Zaidpour at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival.
In fact the last horse to beat the Edward Harty-trained mare was the hugely exciting Annie Power. "She has schooled well and is ready for her first start of the season," Harty reported yesterday.
“Two miles and one furlong might be a bit on the sharp side but we wanted to start off low-key.
“There’s no point throwing her in at the deep end. Let’s hope for a clear round, and a nice run, and we then can start looking for something else.”
Recovery mission
In contrast Teelin Star is on something of a recovery mission in the second Beginners Chase.
The hugely-touted ex-point-to-point star has a third start over racecourse fences and can hardly do worse than the first of them last year when falling at the first.
The second was disappointing too as he was far from fluent, jumped left and had to be pulled up. How he gets on third time of asking will be intriguing.
Giantofaman provided an unfortunate memory from the Galway Festival when looking to throw away almost certain victory by dramatically veering from side to side in the closing stages.
He has his first run for Dessie Hughes in today's bumper and providing he doesn't repeat those wayward tendencies, the ex-'Shark' Hanlon runner should be hard to beat.
