Gordon’s charge looks good

ALL eyes will be on the Derrygimlagh Bog Irish EBF Beginners Chase at Galway tomorrow where Gordon Elliott’s Battleoverdoyen makes his debut over fences.

This exciting six-yearold is a massive horse who always looked as though he would be at his most comfortable as a chaser.

Even so, he did well in a relative brief hurdling career last season when he won at Grade 1 level at Naas in January.

He did disappoint at Cheltenham in March but was reported not to have travelled over well and he is easily forgiven that below par effort.

Throughout last season Elliott (inset) maintained that his charge would be at his best when he got to tackle fences and now is his moment to shine.

On an interesting day’s racing, Willie Mullins looks to have good prospects of a double with his Kalanisi Og getting the vote in the mares maiden hurdle.

She looked a decent sort when she made a winning debut in a mares bumper at this meeting a year ago.

However, she was then off the track until contesting a high class mares bumper at Gowran earlier this month.

She had to settle for seventh that day but it was still a very reasonable run in a quality contest and she should be all the better for that outing.

Kalanisi Og is preferred to the Elliott-trained Mount Ida, who defeated a subsequent dual bumper winner when she struck at Wexford in the spring.

Another likely winner for Mullins is Foveros in the rated novice hurdle over an extended two and a half miles.

This useful four-year-old is making his first appearance since winning a novice over this course and distance at the Festival here in August.

He is a tough and willing sort who should progress further with racing and he makes more appeal than stablemate Quartz Du Rheu, who won easily at Downpatrick last time. In the three mile handicap hurdle Fitzhenry is put forward to make a winning return to action.

This gelding is a useful staying chaser at his peak and was placed in several quality handicaps last season.

It’s possible he could yet land a nice prize over hurdles and this three mile trip on slow ground looks perfect for him.

Portmore Lough won nicely at this track a few weeks ago and this very lightly raced sort could be placed to further advantage by the canny John Kiely.