Kemboy looks sure to go off favourite for the Bobbyjo Chase© Photo Healy Racing
The Willie Mullins-trained duo of Kemboy and Carefully Selected head the market for the Tote Fantasy Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse this afternoon, the 3m1f Grade 3 highlight on a seven-card beginning at 1.35pm.
Perennial top-level performer Kemboy has made two Grade 1 starts this term, finishing second to Conflated in the Savills Chase and then coming home sixth in the Irish Gold Cup earlier this month.
Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said of the bay: “Kemboy has been dropped in class with no penalties.
“The conditions of the race should suit him very well, hopefully the ground won’t be too slow for him. He’s been in good form since Leopardstown and he should run very well.”
Carefully Selected is Aintree-bound for the Grand National in April, with the Bobbyjo recognised as a trial for the big race and named after the 1999 winner.
Mullins’ gelding landed the Thyestes Chase at Gowran when last seen, another pointer to the National, and will look to gain even more experience at the weekend as he is lightly raced for an 11-year-old.
Mullins said: “For Carefully Selected this is a great Grand National trial, he gets in with no penalties either.
“He’d prefer slower, softer ground. That will suit him well, the trip will suit him well, he came out of Gowran in good form.
“We’re trying to get a run and some experience into him before Aintree, so this race suits perfectly for him. He knows the track — a big, galloping track should suit him.
“We’d be expecting big runs from the two of them.”
Also involved is Martin Brassil’s Longhouse Poet another who is National-bound and returns to fences having run three times over hurdles this season.
Gordon Elliott is set to run Pencilfulloflead third in the Thyestes, and the Gigginstown House Stud-owned grey Farclas.
Enjoy D’Allen will represent Ciaran Murphy’s stable, with Gavin Cromwell’s Vanillier Paul Gilligan’s Glamorgan Duke and Stuart Crawford’s Now Where Or When completing the field of nine.
