Listowel Tips: Kerry National takes centre stage on Wednesday and a 'live one' for Mullins The Guinness Kerry National is the annual highlight at the Listowel Harvest Festival and a field of 18 runners will face the starter for the 2m7f 180yds spectacle at 4.15pm on Wednesday. Willie Mullins has won the €200,000 showpiece four times and is responsible for six runners including Galway Plate hero King Alexander, the mount again of Dan King. Several of those who clashed at Ballybrit renew rivalry here including runner-up Conyers Hill (Paul Nolan) and third-placed Nowwhatdoyouthink (Gordon Elliott). Two that finished just in behind are of interest. Downmexicoway (5th), who is better off at the weights with that trio, is taken to provide Henry de Bromhead, successful with Poker Party in 2019, with his second Kerry National win. The step up in trip should help the Watchman Racing-owned 7yo who looked in need of further when running on to finish fourth in a valuable 2m4f handicap at Cheltenham won by handicap snip Madera last March. The winning pointer in 2023 was fancied to make a winning return at Galway in July but may well have needed the run when plugging on to finish fifth. Two places in behind was Ol Man Dingle who could well outrun his odds off these more favourable terms for Eoin Griffin and with some firms giving extra places on the day he is the each-way play. The booking of 5lb claimer Michael Kinneally, teaming up aboard the triple chase winner for the first time, is a positive. The Kilbeggan 2m4f chase scorer last June is better off with the four rivals that finished in front of him at Galway, just 10 lengths adrift of the winner that day. Local runner worth a second look in the 3.40pm Eoin McCarthy bagged six winners at this festival 12 months ago to be crowned leading trainer and a chance is taken with his Tiger Twins who steps up considerably in trip for handicap debut in the 3.40pm. Off the track since last May, he was the subject of a gamble (28/1-13/2) on racecourse debut in a bumper at this meeting last year but dropped away tamely to finish towards the rear. He was obviously well regarded given the market support that afternoon and has shown snippets of form in his three starts over hurdles since. With Thomas O’Connor taking a valuable 7lb off his back the locally-trained challenger might have place prospects stepping up to three miles. Another live one for Mullins in the Mares Novice Chase 4.47pm Champion trainer Willie Mullins got the Harvest Festival off to a bright start for favourite backers with a treble here on Sunday with Run Ted Run (4/6f), Ocastle Des Mottes (5/4f) and Green Hint (8/13f). Mullins’ La Note Verte will be fancied in the Mares Novice Chase (4.47) to supplement her recent success at Tramore when she led home a 1-2-3 for the stable on her third start over fences under JJ Slevin. Her jumping wasn’t always foot perfect before winning that day over 2m6f but going left-handed around Listowel should help given she jumped out to her left at some of her fences going the other way last time. Dropping back in trip is a slight concern and she has ground to find with Miss Doyenne (Henry de Bromhead) who had her seven lengths back in third on chase debut over 2m4f at Killarney last May. La Note Verte has gained more chasing experience since that debut effort and might prove up to the task to reverse that early season form having her fourth start in this sphere, one of five rides on the day for Paul Townend. Listowel Wednesday 3.40 0.5pt each-way Tiger Twins 4.15 1pt win Downmexicoway 4.15 0.5 each-way Ol Man Dingle 4.47 1pt win La Note Verte
