Swamp Fox winning the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel last year© Photo Healy Racing
The Grade B Ladbrokes Ireland Handicap Hurdle is the feature event at Listowel on Thursday, with 11 runners chasing a share of the €60,000 prize pool. Swamp Fox carries top weight and bids to improve upon two remarkable runner-up efforts at the Galway Festival.
The Joe Murphy-trained gelding took second in the opening day's amateur handicap at Ballybrit before finishing an agonising second in the Galway Hurdle three days later.
He is partnered at Listowel by useful amateur jockey Johnny Barry, who takes off 5lb.
Most of the runners in the race do, however, possess similarly decent form and John Joe Walsh's Davids Charm is chasing a hat-trick, having won a lesser handicap hurdle at Galway.
Willie Mullins' Lagostovegas was third in that amateur handicap at Galway and has to have solid claims, having won her latest start at the Killarney August festival where she beat Tom Mullins' Top Ofthe Ra, who was himself successful in yet another handicap hurdle at Galway and renews rivalry.
Mullins' Coquin Mans will be a short price to win the Island (Q.R.) Race and should triumph on his way to better things when he eventually reverts to hurdling.
The yard's Ben Button has climbed up the ratings in recent times with two victories but should again take plenty of beating in the concluding Devon Inn Hotel Handicap Hurdle.
