Followmeuptocarlow (red cap) winning over hurdles at Fairyhouse© Photo Healy Racing
Tom Foley is hopeful veteran chaser Followmeuptocarlow can deservedly get off the mark over fences in the Kedrah House Stud 'Well Chosen' Beginners Chase at Tipperary on Thursday evening.
The 11-year-old made a winning debut for the Bagenalstown handler in a Fairyhouse hurdle in November and has since filled the runner-up spot over the larger obstacles on four occasions.
He ran another creditable race in defeat when fourth in the valuable AON Novice Handicap Chase at the Punchestown Festival earlier this month and Foley believes his charge would not be winning out of turn if he can get the job done.
Foley said: "Hopefully he might get his head in front, but then we've thought that a good few times this season.
"He's a horse who needs to be brought with a late run and Paul Townend rides him for the first time since he won over hurdles at Fairyhouse, so that's a plus.
"He might be an 11-year-old, but he acts like a two-year-old. He was off for a long time earlier in his career and has very little racing done."
Followmeuptocarlow features in a 12-runner field, with Henry de Bromhead's Clonbanan Lad and the Mags Mullins-trained Cairdin a couple of his biggest rivals.
The two-and-a-half-mile contest is part of a bumper eight-race National Hunt card. Perhaps the star turn of the evening is Tony Martin's Cillian's Return who kicks off his jumping career in the opening Micheal Maher Building And Construction Services Maiden Hurdle.
The five-year-old showed quality form in bumpers, chasing home Black Hercules at Punchestown in December before beating Vigil at Fairyhouse on New Year's Day. He makes his first appearance since and will surely be tough to beat.
Walter Power 's 12-year-old Marshim has won twice at Tipperary and is likely to be popular in the second division of the Ryans Cleaning Event Specialists Handicap Hurdle.
The most valuable race of the night is the Kilfeacle Stud 'Portrait Gallery' Handicap Chase, with Willie Mullins reaching for the hood for the frustrating Raise Hell
A hunter chase and a couple of point-to-point bumpers conclude proceedings.
