Friday Tipping: Michonne can open her account over hurdles

A busy week of racing in Ireland continues on Friday with the start of the two-day Gowran October jumps meeting starting at 1.21pm before Dundalk kicks off later in the day at 5.00pm.

Michonne drops back into maiden company in the opening Willis Towers Watson Maiden Hurdle at Gowran and if running close to her official assessment of 123 has the credentials to shed her maiden tag on her fourth start over hurdles.

Jessica Harrington's filly stepped up on her creditable Leopardstown hurdle debut effort last Christmas when chasing home Majolique in a slowly run Naas listed juvenile contest last February.

The Willie Mullins-trained winner that day went on to be placed in a Grade 2 afterwards at Fairyhouse and wasn't disgraced when finishing fifth behind Saratoga in the champion four-year-old hurdle at Punchestown last May.

A recent return to action when easy to back on the flat at Clonmel following a five-month break since her fifth-placed effort in a Grade 2 at Fairyhouse should dismiss any question marks regarding fitness. Michonne, a dual winner on the level in France, can finally get her head in front in this sphere.

Likely dangers include the Gordon Elliott-trained Ivatt with a first-time hood tried and Bunker Buster who was well supported from 8/1 into 7/2 on his second start when third in a Punchestown Festival bumper last season.

With his trainer Charles Byrnes in sparkling form in recent weeks, bagging three winners from his last eight runners, his representative is worth keeping a close eye on in the market, fitted with a first-time hood on hurdling debut.

The concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mucklemeg bumper (5.20) looks ultra-competitive with nine of the 13 participants coming here with a previous win behind them.

Champion trainer Willie Mullins, who has won six of the last 11 running's of this mares' race, is triple handed with Tramore scorer Long'way the choice of son Patrick and likely to figure prominently in the market. She is joined by stable companions' Alicious and Village Dream , the former successful on her racecourse debut at Wexford and partnered by Jody Townend.

Knockeen trainer Henry de Bromhead has never won this race before and he is doubly represented with first time out winners Elegantemente and Lola O C .

Leading amateur John Gleeson teamed up with both fillies when winning their bumpers respectively at Ballinrobe and Roscommon and with him electing to side with the Philip Reynolds-owned homebred Lola O C, she can run another big race.

The manner of her victory at Roscommon when quickening off a slow pace to justify favouritism was eyecatching. The 3rd, 5th and 9th have all won subsequently and with likely improvement still to come she might put it up to the Mullins trio.

Controlla started off her career in a Group 3 contest at Naas last May when she made subsequent Queen Mary heroine Victorius work hard for her neck victory.

Robson De Aguiar's £160,000 Tattersalls UK yearling purchase only got off the mark on her fifth attempt though last weekend when showing blistering speed to land a Curragh 6f maiden.

If she can break smartly from her high draw with AMO retained rider Rowan Scott travelling over from Britain to take the ride, she might well be capable of stepping up again.

She's the each-way pick in the featured Legacy Stakes at 6.00pm where the Paddy Twomey-trained Big Negotiator sets the standard with her rating of 101 going in search of her fourth career win against 12 rivals.

Staking Plan