Donn McClean casts his eye over some of the feature races from Cork this afternoon including a competitive mares' novices' chase.
The Bar One Racing Hilly Way Chase at Cork once again features the return of Energumene.
Things are a little different this time around, Willie Mullins’ horse is now the reigning Champion Chaser, but he was odds-on to win the race last year, and he will be odds-on again this year.
Sean O’Keeffe rode him to victory in the race last year and, with Paul Townend at Punchestown to ride Galopin Des Champs and Appreciate It, Sean O’Keeffe has been entrusted with the ride again.
Master McShee is an admirable performer, a Grade 1 winner, and he has been expertly campaigned by Paddy Corkery, but he has 19lb to find on official ratings with Energumene, and that leaves him with an arduous task.
There are only five declarations for the Grade 2 O’Flynn Group Irish EBF Mares’ Novice Chase, but it is still a really interesting contest.
The Colm Murphy-trained Impervious, a Grade 3 winner last season as a novice hurdler, ran out an impressive winner of her beginners’ chase on her chasing debut at Wexford in October, and she should progress from that.
She may have to give best to Dinoblue here though.
JP McManus’ mare looked like a really exciting recruit when she won her maiden hurdle on her racecourse debut at Clonmel last January. She didn’t win again after that last season, but she was highly tried and, a half-sister to Blue Sari, she looked very good in making all to land her beginners’ chase on her chasing bow at Cork last month.
The Grade 3 Singletons Supervalu Stayers Novice Hurdle is another quality contest, with Cool Survivor, Hiddenvalley Lake, Letsbeclearaboutit and Monbeg Park all possessing the potential to take a high rank among the top staying novice hurdlers this season.
There was a lot to like about the manner in which the Henry de Bromhead-trained Hiddenvalley Lake battled on to win his maiden hurdle over two miles and three furlongs at Naas last month on his racecourse debut.
The runner-up Santonito and the fifth-placed Gaoth Chuil and the 12th-placed Chainofconsequence have all come out from that race and won since and, with a pedigree that is all stamina, Hiddenvalley Lake could progress significantly for stepping up in trip.
The Robcour gelding is another horse who should be well worth noting during another weekend of deep Irish National Hunt racing which lies ahead.
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