Artist bids to hold Court in Shannon Spray Court Artist bids to get her season back on track in the Kerry Group EBF Shannon Spray Mares Novice Hurdle at Limerick this afternoon. The Grade Three contest is one of the highlights on a strong card that was swiftly rescheduled after being cancelled on Sunday due to heavy snow. The Willie Mullins-trained Court Artist bounced back from a disappointing hurdling debut at Down Royal to win successive races at Ballinrobe and Wexford in the autumn. She ran a fine race to finish a close-up third in a Listed contest at Haydock during the hectic Christmas period, but was last seen finishing down the field in a mares' handicap hurdle at last month's Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown. James Fenton, racing manager for owners Blue Blood Racing, said: "We're expecting her to improve and, on her form, she deserves to take her chance in a race like this. "She ran a very good race at Haydock behind Cap Soleil, who ran second to Laurina in Cheltenham last Thursday. "It wasn't her true running in Leopardstown the last day, we're just putting a line through that. "I think the step up in trip will suit her and the ground won't inhibit her at all. "She's a terribly good mare and while it's a Grade Three race and you don't expect to get anything easy, we're confident she'll run well and it would be great if she can get some more black type." Court Artist features in an 11-strong field, with her stablemate Redhotfillypeppers the only absentee from the original declarations. Jessica Harrington's Alletrix won the Leopardstown handicap in which Court Artist failed to fire and renews rivalries on the back of finishing second to Meri Devie in a Listed contest at Punchestown. Others with chances include Gordon Elliott's hat-trick seeking Lackaneen Leader, Ray Hackett's prolific mare Crackerdancer and the John Kiely-trained Just Janice, who lifted a Grade Three race at Down Royal in November.
