Thurles preview Thurles racecourse launches its new www.thurlesraces.ie on Saturday where a best dressed lady and most appropriately dressed gent competition will be held on the day the Co Tipperary racecourse remembers its late owner Pierce Molony, with the Listed Novice Chase contested in his name. The 2m2f event has attracted seven runners and sees Willie Mullins’ Great Field bid to add to his two race unbeaten chase record, under regular rider Jody McGarvey. The J.P. McManus owned gelding has won three of his four Irish starts since moving from his native France in 2016 and is likely to take plenty beating today following a useful eight lengths win, when almost exiting at the final fence, at Leopardstown earlier this month. Among those opposing Great Field are Gordon Elliott’s 2016 Coral Hurdle winner Diamond King, who was pulled up early at Cheltenham nine days ago and Elliott’s other runner 135 rated Stone Hard, while the similarly rated Full Cry represents Champion Chase winning trainer Henry De Bromhead. The Willie Mullins/Gordon Elliott rivalry continues in the White Gypsy @ Finns Borrisoleigh Hurdle where this year’s Trainers’ Championship principals are represented with three runners between them, although each has to beat De Bromhead’s smart chaser Sadler’s Risk, which returns following his fourth placing at Grade 1 level at Down Royal in November. Mullins sends Open Eagle, which is absent since finishing down the field in last season’s Albert Bartlett Hurdle while Elliott relies on both Woods Well and Midnight Escape, each maiden hurdle winners this year. Form is thin in the concluding Littleton Bumper but one which has already run is the Robbie McNamara trained Dasmyhoss, which looked an above average sort when finishing third on debut at Leopardstown last month and can take beating in a race featuring eight newcomers.
