Cheltenham Festival heroes lock horns in enthralling Grimes Hurdle

1.30 Tipperary
Kevin McManus Bookmaker Grimes Hurdle (Grade 3) | 2m | 4yo+ | RTV

Friday afternoon showdowns at Tipperary in June don't come much better than this.

A Grade 1 winner from this year's Dublin Racing Festival and the runaway Grand Annual scorer from Cheltenham, as well as the 2020 Irish Champion Hurdle third, County Hurdle runner-up and 2019 Martin Pipe hero – this is the race to announce the return of the jumps in Ireland.

Petit Mouchoir looks the obvious place to start as the highest-rated runner in the race, rated 157. The likeable nine-year-old looked revitalised by Henry de Bromhead last season, hitting the frame in three top-level events on home soil before finishing fifth in the Champion Hurdle behind Epatante.

Petit Mouchoir: last seen finishing fifth in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at CheltenhamCredit: Edward Whitaker

He needed his first run after a break on his last two seasonal reappearances and it will be interesting to see how sharp he is ahead of this.

Gordon Elliott's Chosen Mate marked himself out as an exciting two-mile chaser when bolting up in the Grand Annual and, although he has won a Grade 2 over hurdles, he has plenty to find on ratings with these rivals.

Grade 1-winning novice hurdler Aramon found only well-handicapped stablemate Saint Roi too strong in the County Hurdle and must give weight away all-round for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.

JP McManus is five-handed in a bid to land the race named after his classy operator Grimes, who won the first running back in 2001.

A Wave Of The Sea: won the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle earlier this yearCredit: Patrick McCann

His four-year-old A Wave Of The Sea, who scored in Grade 1 company at the Dublin Racing Festival before finishing seventh in the Triumph Hurdle, is the mount of Mark Walsh.

What they say

Frank Berry, racing manager to JP McManus, owner of A Wave Of The Sea, Early Doors, Hearts Are Trumps, Plinth and Yanworth
A Wave Of The Sea won't mind the ground. It's his first run back after Cheltenham so hopefully he'll run very well. It looks a hot race. Early Doors has been chasing and Joseph O'Brien says he's in good form so this is a nice race to start him off in. Hearts Are Trumps is very consistent and pays the price for it a little bit. Dessie McDonogh is happy that he's in good form. Plinth has had a bit of a change of scenery with Enda Bolger and is getting on a bit, but he's in good form and always runs well in those conditions races around Tipperary. Yanworth had a couple of mishaps in cross country races but he's back in good form and on his day, he'd obviously be in the mix in a race like this.

Charles Byrnes, trainer of Turnpike Trip and Wonder Laish
It looks a very hot race but there's nice ground so it's a good place to start them back. Turnpike Trip has won around here before and Wonder Laish is back from a bit of time off. He was out injured for a bit. Both are working nicely so we're hoping for good runs.

Aramon (white sleeves, left): finished second in the Randox Health County Hurdle when last seenCredit: Edward Whitaker

Willie Mullins, trainer of Aramon and Stratum
Aramon ran very well in the County Hurdle and will handle this ground. He has some good hurdles form. Stratum can run on the Flat during the summer too, but he's another one of mine who will love this ground as well. They're both well and entitled to take their chance.

John Joe Walsh, trainer of Davids Charm
It's a deadly hot race, very open. He's fresh and well and in good order. He'll be better after a run and we'll see where we'll go after this.

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