Fred Winter winner out to fly high after long absence

The 2014 Fred Winter winner Hawk High will attempt to make a winning debut over fences at Carlisle in the racinguk.com Beginners' Chase (2.30) on Thursday against four rivals.

The Trevor Hemmings-owned gelding has not run since finishing eighth in the Scottish Champion Hurdle in April last year, but he has some smart form over hurdles, including a Class 2 victory at Aintree, where he beat the likes of Garde La Victoire.

The eight-year-old will face the smart Delire D'Estruval, winner of a Listed novice hurdle at Haydock last season, and Stowaway Magic, but his trainer Tim Easterby is confident of a bold showing from the son of High Chaparral.

He said on Wednesday: "He's in good form and is working well at home. All being well he should have a good chance.

"Hopefully, the ground will be nice, and he should be an exciting prospect for the season."

Amour De Nuit: won on his chasing debut at Kempton in MayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Double trouble

In a twist of irony, Paul Nicholls' current and former stable jockeys, Harry Cobden and Sam Twiston-Davies, face off in the KLF Insurance Brokers Chase (5.00) at Ludlow, where Mcgroarty, an easy winner of his first two runs over fences, tries to make it three in a row.

Twiston-Davies, who rode the seven-year-old on his last start, said: "He jumped well last time and won his last couple of starts nicely but, being a two-horse race, it will be tactical."

His sole rival, Amour De Nuit, won on his only start over fences at Kempton in May and also won a Listed hurdle contest at the track last October.

The Paul Nicholls-trained runner is officially rated 137, 2lb higher than Mcgroarty, but has to concede 2lb to his rival in this 0-135 2m novice handicap.

Flat back at Thurles after 11 years

More by climatic accident than design, Flat racing returns to Thurles on Thursday for the first time since March 2007.

A seven-race card consists of five contests over a mile, a 1m4f handicap and 2m handicap, and most of Ireland's big-name yards are represented.

Because of unusually low rainfall in recent months the Co Tipperary track has had to cancel two scheduled jumps fixtures, one of which was due to be held on Thursday, because of very quick ground, and last week it was decided to run an all-Flat card instead.

Thurles staged Flat racing for many years, and it was at the track that Vintage Crop, who went on to make history as the first horse trained in the northern hemisphere to win the Melbourne Cup, made a successful debut in 1991, when landing a 2m bumper by eight lengths.

Ridden by Pat Shanahan, Vintage Crop was a 20-1 shot, with stablemate Padiord, ridden by Mick Kinane, preferred in the market but finishing in rear.

The absence of Flat racing for the last 11 years was not influenced by trainers or jockeys. It was the late Pierce Molony, owner and manager of Thurles and whose daughter Kate now runs the racecourse, who decided he would concentrate on jumping, and after three Flat races were run on a mixed card on March 29, 2007 Flat racing at the venue was discontinued.

Kate Molony said on Wednesday: “Our ground is good to firm. We’ve had no rain recently but there is a lovely covering of grass on the track and we’re looking forward to tomorrow and welcoming new faces to the track.

John Oxx: had a winner at the last Thurles meeting and hoping to saddle another on ThursdayCredit: Alain Barr

"Many of the jockeys will be riding here for the first time. We got starting stalls delivered from Bellewstown.”

The last Flat race run at the track was a mile handicap won by 25-1 shot Max Scal, trained by John O’Shea and ridden by 10lb claimer Craig Allen.

On the same card the John Oxx-trained Shabahar, owned by the Aga Khan and ridden by Fran Berry, won a mile three-year-old maiden, while Volcan Magigue, ridden by Declan McDonogh for James Leavy, landed a mile handicap.

Both Oxx and O’Shea are represented in the 2m handicap (5.25), the final race on Thursday’s card, by Lost Comet and Zinat respectively, while McDonogh has six booked rides.

Thurles card

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