Limerick preview Stephen Mahon is well represented on Limerick's card and the County Galway-based trainer fields no less than three of the 13 runners in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Beginners Chase. After a pleasing chase debut when putting it up to his rivals from the front at Clonmel just six days ago, Afatcat, who eventually finished third on that occasion, would now appear to be the stable first-string with Paul Carberry up. Mahon explained: "Unfortunately Robbie (Colgan) has to ride Six Senses. In any case we have a good replacement in Carberry. "It'll come down to the ground with him (Afatcat). He's a summer ground horse. If it had been good ground at Clonmel the last day they'd never have got to him, but as it was he wasn't 100 per cent fit and he came back to them. "He'll be a bit straighter on Wednesday so we'll see. "Smokey Joe Joe is a nice horse too. He had a run there at Christmas when he would have needed it. He came on a lot from that effort. "Five Hawk Wings had his first run (over fences) there in Thurles when Carberry rode him. He jumped a bit out to the left but he gave a joint a bit of a nick so I think that was the cause of that. He doesn't normally jump out left when schooling. He'll be a nice horse over fences but he's still learning his trade." Ludo Et Emergo unseated here at the last, when still in with every chance, at the meeting on March 16, and his presence in this two-mile-one-furlong contest, under Davy Russell, will attract many eyes. Acapulco, Drawn N Drank, Fahamore, The Crafty Butcher and Federici are others to note in what should be an informative heat. Stephen Mahon also sends out He Rock's, in the 2.15, and he said of this one: "He Rock's runs in the maiden hurdle having been second in two chases as a four-year-old. Win, lose or draw tomorrow he'll probably have a break after it. He'll make a nice three-mile chaser next year." Racegoers could well witness a potential top-notcher in this Irish National Hunt Stallion Owners European Breeders Fund Maiden Hurdle with Noble Emperor now competing in the JP McManus colours for the first time. Tony Martin's charge won a bumper at the first-time of asking last month, at Navan at odds of 16-1 Along with Noble Emperor, the other apparent big players in the two-mile-three-furlong event would seem to be Lord Of Lords and Stolberg. Elsewhere Tooreen bids to bring up her hat-trick in the Sporting Limerick Mares Handicap Hurdle whilst in the finale, Arctic Skipper is an exciting graduate of the point-to-point field to note.
