Timiyan© Photo Healy Racing
Bellewstown's three-day festival concludes today with the Fast Shipping Bellewstown Handicap Hurdle taking centre stage.
There are seven hurdle races and one bumper on the card and the feature event sees the JP McManus-owned Timiyan bidding to recoup more of his expensive purchase price in the 30,000 euro race.
Now in the care of trainer Gordon Elliott, the gelded son of Ghostzapper was purchased by his current owner for 470,000 euro at the Goffs Champions Sale in September 2014 but has won just twice since, most notably on his debut for Elliott at Roscommon last month.
Timiyan tackles 11 opponents including another last-time-out winner Colla Pier and recent Flat scorer Light That for trainer Jessica Harrington.
Champion Trainer Willie Mullins sends two runners to the meeting and both have solid claims, with Herminio lining up in the Tierney Kitchens Balbriggan Maiden Hurdle and Iolani tackling the concluding McLoughlin Oil INH Bumper.
Herminio is looking to make it third-time lucky over hurdles having finished third and second respectively in recent Punchestown and Wexford runs and might prove too strong for the McManus-owned, Joseph O'Brien-trained Aeglos who returns following a five-month break.
That same McManus/O'Brien combination again meet Mullins in the concluding bumper as their Tower Bridge and Iolani put recent bumper wins to the test.
Mullins' Iolani was a winner at Downpatrick latest and Tower Bridge, under O'Brien's stable amateur jockey Tony Hamilton, might prove too strong having confirmed his Punchestown promise on debut in April with a solid Ballinrobe win in May.
