LIMESTONE TO REPEAT BOYNE HURDLE SUCCESS

Limestone Lad completes his final domestic preparation before another trip to the Cotswolds next month when he is the star attraction in the featured McCabe Builders Ltd Boyne Hurdle at Navan on Sunday afternoon.

Bidding to repeat last year`s success in this stamina-sapping three-mile contest, the Bowe family money-spinner has six rivals to face in this encounter including likely dangers, Boss Doyle and Sallies Girl.

The manner of his victory over the smaller obstacles at Naas over 2m4f last month suggests he will be more than capable of justifying prohibitive odds here.

On that occasion he took a little time to warm to his task up front but he showed some of his old zest when quickening the tempo again after the penultimate flight to run his rivals ragged, including Slaney Native who finished six lengths adrift.

Take him to score en route to the Bonusprint Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham on Thursday March 15th where he will bid to go one place better than last year when he gallantly filled the runner-up berth behind Bacchanal.

Arctic Copper chased home Cheltenham-bound Sackville in the valuable three-runner Moriarty Chase 2m5f at Leopardstown earlier this month but he appears to have a real live hope of returning to the winners enclosure at the expense of Malabar and Twilight Buck in the nine-runner Navan Novice Chase over 3m.

Racing concludes with another Willie Mullins inmate, Hedgehunter bidding to join his ever-growing Cheltenham Weatherbys Champion Bumper team heading accross the Irish sea next month.

This fellow has been mentioned in dispatches by Mullins in recent weeks and he gets the vote to make a winning bow in the finale.

SELECTIONS

2.10 Fruit Defendu

2.40 Arctic Copper

3.10 Limestone lad (Nap)

3.40 Hidden Ability

4.10 More Than A Stroll

4.40 Bunts Lleep (e.w)

5.10 Hedgehunter