Gardens Of Babylon (right)© Photo Healy Racing
Gardens Of Babylon provides plenty of class in the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel — and has prospects of defying top weight.
Joseph O’Brien’s 142-rated gelding has been placed three times in graded company, including when third in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
He has handled rain-softened ground before, and that should enable him to travel into contention in the hurly-burly of Tuesday’s 14-runner contest over two miles.
The Piltown trainer also saddles the unexposed Top Moon who romped home by 11 lengths in a maiden hurdle at Kilbeggan last month.
O’Brien’s Commandant won on his last visit to County Kerry, obliging in a handicap chase at Killarney in July, and has to go on the short-list for the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle. Barrington Court was found to be lame after trailing home at odds-on in Naas back in January, so is on a recovery mission for Jessica Harrington in the Jet O’Carroll Memorial Irish EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle.
Willie Mullins’ Blazing Emily and Noel Meade’s Glint In Her Eye ought to make this a proper test, though. Whatucallher rsquo;s consistency could be rewarded in the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle — although she has a six-month absence to overcome.
The Listowel Handicap Hurdle is ferociously competitive, but Cusp Of Caravelli has hit form with a vengeance and has a shot at bringing up his hat-trick.
Mullins’ Sayo was pulled up in the Galway Hurdle, but has to be of interest in the John F. McGuire Beginners Steeplechase.
This is his first crack at the bigger obstacles, having finished third in last year’s Triumph Hurdle.
Mullins also supplies newcomer Hopefully for the Kerry Petroleum Flat Race, and this daughter of Beat Hollow is sure to be popular
