Jump Racing 23rd April

[BKI Punter]

5:45 Ffos Las Grand Lahou 1pt win - 4/1 (Paddy Power) Fair chaser at one point and if retaining ability is clearly hard to beat off a mark of 112. Long lay off but it's not worrying as he's gone well fresh in the past. Small field here too, if he steals a lead he'll be hard to peg back.

[Edberg]

Re: Jump Racing 23rd April 5.20 Cork CARRIGEEN KARIEGA 2pts to win @ 11/2 bog (Paddy Power) Carrigeen Kariega has a good chance to win her first race under rules in this mares' maiden hurdle over 2m4f. The ground is officially good to yielding and that could be a little concern as she surely prefers a softer ground and the trip is fine even if she will surely improve with longer trips and probably going over fences as her nice pedigree suggests. She started her career last season but achieved very little. Before coming back under rules in 2011-12 season she's been busy in PTPs where she finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in 4 starts (won at Lisronagh on heavy ground over 3m in December). Her first race under rules since May 2011 was on the 1st of March at Thurles when she finished second (soft/heavy) in a Bumper over 2m. One week later she finished second again over 2m4f at Clonmel (soft) in a maiden hurdle where Beef To The Heels finished 5th and the Gigginstown House Stud-owned 6yo (4/5 favourite that day at Clonmel) has won with ease his next start and is now rated 120. Carrigeen Kariega has already got a rating of 109 but seems able to perform way over that rating (would say at least 115 atm) and in this field she has to stand a big chance today. The main opponent is the Willie Mullins-trained Supreme Carolina (with Ruby Walsh on board). This 5yo mare makes her debut over hurdles and in her 4 outs in bumpers she's done pretty well. She easily won first time out at Listowel (heavy) in September, was 2nd in her next out at Punchestown in October and her two bumpers in November saw her finishing 5th and 7th both times in Listed bumpers for mares but well beaten. In her last start at Navan there was another Willie Mullins-trained mare Hats And Heels who finished third 3L ahead of her stablemate and she made a winning debut over hurdles at Naas in January beating Beef To The Heels by 5L getting 9lb from her rival so that line through Beef To The Heels has to put my selection at least close to Supreme Carolina and it has to be underlined that Willie Mullins's yard don't seem to be in top form at the moment (they had only one winner over hurdles (Vast Consumption at the Easter Fairyhouse Festival) in April and they have sent a bunch of very disappointing horses in maiden hurdles lately). Of course this Supreme Carolina could be anything but she has first to prove it while my selection has a lot of experience under her belt and should go very well today especially if a bit more rain comes.