Flaxen Flare© Photo Healy Racing
The opening EY Chase is the most valuable contest on a seven-race card at Tramore this evening.
A field of eight runners has assembled for the 20,000 euro feature, with Gearoid O’Loughlin’s veteran Jarob setting the standard on ratings in the hands of 7lb claimer Conor Orr.
His rivals include Gordon Elliott’s Cheltenham Festival hero of five years ago Flaxen Flare
It is over three years since the 2013 Fred Winter winner registered his only previous victory over fences, but he has finished second on three of his last four starts and this does look a winnable race.
The Henry de Bromhead-trained All Hell Let Loose Michael Bowe’s Jaime Sommers and a quartet of course winners in Ardera Cross (Eoin Doyle), Master Appeal (John Kiely), Ask Susan (John Nicholson) and Gusty Rocky (Pat Flynn) complete the line-up. Wee Tiger bids to complete a hat-trick for Ray Hackett in the Tramore Bookmakers Handicap Chase.
The seven-year-old won twice over hurdles at Limerick in July and reverts to the larger obstacles off a 22lb lower mark. Global Jackpot will not be winning out of turn if opening his account under Rules in the Flynn Hotel Group Maiden Hurdle.
Since winning his point-to-point, the five-year-old has run six times for Elliott, finishing second on no less than four occasions.
He is clearly no star, but is surely up to winning a race of this nature. De Bromhead’s Statistical and the Willie Mullins-trained Jonnigraig look the obvious dangers.
Elliott looks to have a good chance of landing the ELC Laser Group Handicap Hurdle with Touch Base who makes his handicap debut in the colours of JP McManus after coming good at Downpatrick last month. An opening mark of 106 looks fair.
The concluding Brennan’s Pharmacy INH Flat Race does not look a strong race on paper and plenty of punters will hoping the Mullins runner Mid Day Gun can recoup the losses of his odds-on defeat at Kilbeggan in June.
