Zanahiyr© Photo Healy Racing
Gordon Elliott is set to have a strong team again in the Guinness Kerry National at Listowel next Wednesday.
The Cullentra handler currently has eight entered in the €200,000 contest and is hoping to be represented by 'five of six' in the three-miler.
Among the possibles for the race are Galway Plate runner-up and third Duffle Coat and Zanahiyr The latter currently heads the ante-post market as a 7/1 shot.
“Hopefully we'll have five or six in the race,” Elliott told Dave Keena.
“It's been a lucky race for us and it's great prize-money, so it's a race we like to have plenty of runners in.
“I'm not going to run Ash Tree Meadow, at the top. I'm going to keep him for Gowran Park a couple of weeks later.
“We'll run Zanahiyr, Chemical Energy and Duffle Coat. The three of them all ran well in the Galway Plate.
“The Goffer will be going there fresh. He likes a bit of nice ground and he could be dangerous, he's one I'd be looking forward to.
“If Hurricane Georgie gets in she'll run. Down the bottom you've got Flanking Maneuver who'd be having his first run for us. He was third in the Blazers and seems in good form.
“Battleoverdoyen is there as well, they'll all run if they get in.
“I think the trip will suit Zanahiyr, we ran him in Tramore and I'd say he didn't like making the running. He's in good form and we're looking forward to running him.
“Chemical Energy is well and he runs well fresh. He hasn't run since Galway and I thought he ran a very good race there. There is one of those big ones in him and hopefully it will be soon.
“Duffle Coat was only just beaten in the Plate the last day. Zanahiyr is obviously a classy horse, out of the whole lot of him.”
The national hunt season is set to kick into gear in the next few weeks and Elliott is looking forward to getting some of his stable stars back in action.
“It's lovely walking through here in the evening looking at them all. The summer horses have probably just had enough and it gets a bit tedious.
“With all the winter horses back now it's lovely walking around the place and looking at them all.
“In the next week or two we'll make decisions about what's going to go hurdling and chasing. We'll sit down in the middle of next week, ring a few owners, and then see what we're doing.
“It's good craic and nice to have a few horses that you have to make a plan with.”
