Acapella bids to extend Hughes sequence Acapella Bourgeois bids to continue the Hughes family domination of the At The Races Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle at Thurles on Thursday. Sandra Hughes sent out Sub Lieutenant to take this Grade Two event 12 months ago, completing an amazing four-timer for the Osborne Lodge yard as her late father Dessie had taken the previous three renewals. Acapella Bourgeois has already won over this two-and-a-half-mile trip having scored in fine style in a maiden at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting. The Network gelding returned to the Foxrock track last month when runner-up to A Toi Phil in the Grade Two Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle, and has scope for further improvement. Willie Mullins had seven of the 18 entries at the five-day stage, and the Closutton maestro relies solely on Nambour. The six-year-old son of Sholokhov won a point-to-point, bumper and maiden hurdle all in impressive fashion before tasting defeat for the first time behind stablemate Up For Review at Punchestown on New Year's Eve. Bryan Cooper rides the Gigginstown-owned gelding in preference to recent course winner Road To Respect. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Edwulf adds further spice following his Naas maiden win last time, while the five-runner field is completed by Our Duke. The latter is viewed by Jessica Harrington as a chaser in the making but deserves a crack at this level having won a Leopardstown maiden last month.
