Hit The Bid returns at Tipperary Darren Bunyan warns Hit The Bid will need the race when he returns from a 173-day break in the Listed Abergwaun Stakes at Tipperary on Thursday. The five-year-old entire, who spent the winter in Dubai, is being aimed at the Curragh’s Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes next month. “He’s just ready to get started,” said Bunyan. “The race is not about where he finishes — he just needs a good blow ahead of the Flying Five. “He’s as fit as I can get him, but he’s going to need it. “He’s a bit older, and it’s taken a bit more work than it used to. He just needs that run to get him going again. It will make an awful difference to him. “We gave him an extended break when he came back from Dubai this year, and he absolutely thrived on it. He did too well, if anything. He’s just taken a bit longer — he was just a bit further back than we’d have liked. “This will bring him forward and leave him right for the Flying Five.” Johnny Murtagh fears the penalty for a previous Listed triumph means Urban Beat has a tough assignment. “A 3lb penalty will make it hard for him tomorrow,” said Murtagh. “He’s had a break in the summer and he’s ready to start off for an autumn campaign. “He’s won a Listed race, so you have to carry the penalty. “We’ll just see how it goes before we make any plans.” Ebor-winning trainer Ger Lyons pins his hopes on Ardhoomey — while Denis Hogan’s Hathiq and Richard O’Brien’s Chessman are among other Irish runners. There are two British challengers — the Richard Hughes-trained Gold Filigree and Michael Dods’ Deia Glory.
